Pottery Regions in Noricum

Evidence for Communities of Practice?

Abstract

In this paper the pottery production in Noricum is examined based on the data about pottery regions in this area created
during the author’s PhD work. Using different attributes of the vessels, the paper aims to explain intraregional equality
and variability within different communities of potters. This approach is suggested by the occurrence of morphologically
and stylistically equal vessels in different regions, which show distinct differences regarding the technology used to create
them. The processes of knowledge transfer which can be traced through the spatial analysis of certain pottery attributes are
compared with ethno archaeological data to gain new insights into the manufacturing process and its social embedment.