| Neolithic and Bronze Age European Pottery |
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European pottery of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. In the British Museum. Many such dishes have been found in burial mounds where they were no doubt placed, well filled, to provide food for the dead in their journey to the next world.Click here to enlarge. The development of pottery during the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age (c. 6,000-1,200 B.C.E.) marked a major technological and cultural shift, transforming food storage, trade, and artistic expression. In the Late Neolithic, early pottery was handmade using the coiling technique and fired in open pits, producing simple but functional vessels for cooking, storage, and grain preservation. These pots were often decorated with incised patterns, painted designs, or impressions, reflecting regional styles and possibly symbolic meanings tied to fertility or communal identity. By the Bronze Age, pottery production became more advanced with the introduction of the potter's wheel (c. 3,500 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia), allowing for faster, more symmetrical vessels. Kiln firing at higher temperatures created stronger, more durable ceramics. Bronze Age pottery also saw greater specialization—storage jars (pithoi) for surplus grain, fine tableware for elites, and transport amphorae for trade in olive oil and wine. Decorative techniques expanded, with intricate painted motifs, glazing experiments, and cultural exchanges influencing styles across the Mediterranean and Near East. Pottery also played a role in social hierarchy, as finely crafted vessels became status symbols in burials and feasts. This evolution in pottery mirrored broader societal changes—urbanization, trade networks, and technological innovation—making it a key marker of human progress in prehistory. |
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| www.studenthandouts.com > World History > Neolithic Revolution > Neolithic Maps and Pictures |
