Sudden Shift or Gradual Development? Insights into Changes in Pottery Production in Central Europe during the First Century BC

Poster presented at the conference Ceramic Petrology Group Annual Meeting 2026 (19‒20 February 2026), Ljubljana (SLOVENIA). The poster summarises the results of the comparison of late La Tène and early Roman pottery from Bohemia that is part of a broader research project examining the development of pottery production during the first century BC.

This research was financially supported by the Grant Agency of Charles University (GAUK). The support was provided for project no. 84121 entitled “Survey of ceramics from the End of La Tène Period as Evidence of Organisation of Society and Long-Distance Contacts” implemented at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University. The research is part of the topics studied within the OPJAK project “Ready for the future: understanding long-term resilience of the human culture” (CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004593).

Poster abstract

Attributes of pottery and characteristics of the production process are determined by various factors, including the properties of raw materials used, the intended functions of vessels, and the cultural background of their creators and users. At the same time, these attributes change at different speeds and potentially due to different factors. For this reason, research on pottery and its manufacturing process can be used to study development within society and possible drivers of change, for example, during transitional periods.

One such transition occurred in Central Europe during the first century BC, at the end of the La Tène and the beginning of the Roman periods. During this time, settlement structure, long-distance contacts, technologies and material culture underwent substantial changes, which are often interpreted as a result of the collapse of La Tène society and the arrival of a new population. Specifically, pottery production is presumed to have been completely discontinued. However, this presumption is based mainly on visual attributes of pottery, while only minimal attention has been paid to the materials used and the production process.

To validate the presumed sharp shift in pottery production during the first century BC and to obtain new insights into the topic, we have examined multiple ceramic assemblages from various parts of Bohemia, using macroscopic observation, chemical composition analysis (ED-XRF), and thin-section analysis, studying not only visual attributes of pottery but also techniques and materials used. The results show that while pottery underwent significant transformation, the manufacturing process was not entirely discontinued, and its adjustments were often specific to individual regions. Overall, changes in pottery production seem to be more akin to an adaptation and reorganisation of society due to gradual development rather than a sudden break caused by complete population replacement.

Link (Conference): https://romanistika.ff.uni-lj.si/en/ceramic-petrology-group-annual-meeting-2026

Book of Abstracts (doi https://doi.org/10.4312/9789612977795): https://ebooks.uni-lj.si/ZalozbaUL/catalog/book/873