Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta

<p>This paper explores decorative resemblances between Neolithic and Chalcolithic ceramics and pottery in the Cogotas i style –Later Bronze Age–. A diachronic approach from the Early Neolithic allows tracking a series of recurring ornamental motifs and techniques throughout later prehistory: c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Antonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca 2015-11-01
Series:Zephyrus
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/0514-7336/article/view/13424
_version_ 1819204951764631552
author Antonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ
author_facet Antonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ
author_sort Antonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ
collection DOAJ
description <p>This paper explores decorative resemblances between Neolithic and Chalcolithic ceramics and pottery in the Cogotas i style –Later Bronze Age–. A diachronic approach from the Early Neolithic allows tracking a series of recurring ornamental motifs and techniques throughout later prehistory: comparable geometric themes, the deployment of stab-and-drag –Boquique– and excision techniques and smearing of white inlays. In order to account for such analogies, a suite of options is assessed: mere coincidence, independent innovation, trans-cultural endurance of craftwork procedures. The most likely hypothesis considers a revival of such technological decisions by potters in the second millennium bc; they did so fully aware of their alien character. Such pottery features were used to elaborate a symbolic code displayed on vessels, whose transmission and faithful reproduction were of crucial importance. Ancient potsherds were used as prototypes by potters, and might have been understood as part of ancestral, esoteric or mythical realities. Such cultural preference is consistent with the habitual handling of relics and anachronistic or exotic things. The lifestyles of these people facilitated their encountering of remains from their past, either removing soil (to cultivate and pit-digging) on the same settings occupied by their predecessors, or visiting and altering old megaliths and tumuli, caves and ditched enclosures.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-23T04:43:58Z
format Article
id doaj.art-b757a829b5bd43379940ba38e2ec3cc1
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 0514-7336
2386-3943
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-23T04:43:58Z
publishDate 2015-11-01
publisher Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca
record_format Article
series Zephyrus
spelling doaj.art-b757a829b5bd43379940ba38e2ec3cc12022-12-21T17:59:42ZengEdiciones Universidad de SalamancaZephyrus0514-73362386-39432015-11-01760395610.14201/zephyrus201576395612306Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian MesetaAntonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ<p>This paper explores decorative resemblances between Neolithic and Chalcolithic ceramics and pottery in the Cogotas i style –Later Bronze Age–. A diachronic approach from the Early Neolithic allows tracking a series of recurring ornamental motifs and techniques throughout later prehistory: comparable geometric themes, the deployment of stab-and-drag –Boquique– and excision techniques and smearing of white inlays. In order to account for such analogies, a suite of options is assessed: mere coincidence, independent innovation, trans-cultural endurance of craftwork procedures. The most likely hypothesis considers a revival of such technological decisions by potters in the second millennium bc; they did so fully aware of their alien character. Such pottery features were used to elaborate a symbolic code displayed on vessels, whose transmission and faithful reproduction were of crucial importance. Ancient potsherds were used as prototypes by potters, and might have been understood as part of ancestral, esoteric or mythical realities. Such cultural preference is consistent with the habitual handling of relics and anachronistic or exotic things. The lifestyles of these people facilitated their encountering of remains from their past, either removing soil (to cultivate and pit-digging) on the same settings occupied by their predecessors, or visiting and altering old megaliths and tumuli, caves and ditched enclosures.</p>https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/0514-7336/article/view/13424decoración cerámicaimitacióntransmisión artesanalneolíticocampaniformecogotas imeseta
spellingShingle Antonio BLANCO GONZÁLEZ
Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
Zephyrus
decoración cerámica
imitación
transmisión artesanal
neolítico
campaniforme
cogotas i
meseta
title Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
title_full Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
title_fullStr Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
title_full_unstemmed Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
title_short Ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics. Some plausible inspirational sources for Bronze Age potters in the Iberian Meseta
title_sort ornamental emulation and ancestral ceramics some plausible inspirational sources for bronze age potters in the iberian meseta
topic decoración cerámica
imitación
transmisión artesanal
neolítico
campaniforme
cogotas i
meseta
url https://revistas.usal.es/index.php/0514-7336/article/view/13424
work_keys_str_mv AT antonioblancogonzalez ornamentalemulationandancestralceramicssomeplausibleinspirationalsourcesforbronzeagepottersintheiberianmeseta