Audrey Crandell and Dr. Kerry Muhlestein
When I began my research with BYU’s Egyptian Excavation team, my chosen focus was to study the ceramics found at Fag el Gamous Cemetery. My original research intent was to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to read and understand the context of Egyptian ceramic pottery samples from the 200BC to 500AD / Greco-Roman Period as well as to create a new typology for the unique pottery found in Fag el Gamous Cemetery and compare it to the wider typology of the Egyptian Fayoum. I had planned to do this by a series of steps. I began my preliminary research by studying and drawing general typologies of pottery found in Egypt. Next, I continued my study of local pottery in Egypt during BYU’s Egyptian Excavation Team 2010 Expedition at Fag el Gamous Cemetery. Here I washed and photographed many samples of pottery while learning the specific dating system used by BYU’s Excavation Team. For my final product, I had planned to create a ceramic typology for the pottery found locally at BYU’s Egyptian Excavation.
After much research and learning through study materials and first-hand experience, I have realized that the outcome of my research was too ambitious for the fixed amount of time – one year. One problem that I discovered after some research was that there were more samples of pottery with less previous work done on the topic than I had anticipated. Although, I had planned to create a typology for BYU’s Egyptian Excavation Team after studying general Egyptian typologies of pottery, much groundwork needs to be laid in order for me to create an academically viable ceramic typology. Two of the most important aspects of archaeology are detailed analyses and recording of findings. With a thorough analysis and detailed records, one has the ability to use multiple years of evidence to develop more comprehensive studies and methodologically sound conclusions. One result of such thorough analysis may be a ceramic typology worthy of comparison with other excavations. Thus, prior to creating a sound ceramic typology, it is my recommendation and aim to create more thorough analyses and recording methods for ceramic evidence found at Fag el Gamous Cemetery.
The study of ceramics has always had an important place in the discipline of archaeology, since “ceramics [have] numerically constitute[d] the overwhelming majority of artifacts covered at most urban or semi-urban sites in both the old world and the new.”1 This process of studying ceramics first began by isolating sherds in tombs or settlements that could be assuredly tied to a name or group through connection with an inscribed material, where the name or group’s “historical placing is known.” Once the time period was known, specific characteristics of each vessel or sherd were studied and compared to determine styles that developed over time. This process of comparison started during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Plique was the first to begin a classifying system for pottery in the 1880’s which in turn began movement for classifying ceramic Samian Ware. Around the same time, Flinders Petrie had been developing startigraphic sequencing from his various excavations at Lachish, Palestine, Phoenicia, etc where he had been finding pottery from various cultures in successive strata.
Since the 80’s, the study of ceramics has become much more scientific and methodological. In the past, little comprehensive material has been published on the methods for reading pottery, especially Egyptian pottery. It seems the skill of pottery reading was mostly taught through hands-on-experience during excavations or seminars, which makes the skill difficult to learn through limited study materials. Although hands-on-experience still seems the best way to learn this practical skill, recently, Egyptian pottery manuals and basic guides are being published which assist in standardizing methods and styles so that learning the skill is more accessible to those who have not had extensive on-site, hands-on-experience. As I have studied, I have realized that to correctly create a typology there are specific “shared traits” among all ceramics that need to be properly measured, rendered, and recorded. These traits which define a typology include production method, shape, clay, and surface treatment.
After studying how these traits are measured and analyzed, I could compile specific forms that would be used for recording. Unfortunately, fully implementing a change within the discipline of archaeology is always a slow process because all research and change revolves around an annual excavation. Preparatory changes may be made immediately, but to create a new ceramic typology would take at least another year until the next excavation season. Although, my research did not have the expected outcome, I was still able to contribute to an article that will be published in the Journal, Annales du Service des Antiquites de L’Egypte. In addition, the necessary groundwork can now be laid so that in the future, organized records of thorough analyses done on site will be easily accessible, so that broad studies can be done including creating credible ceramic typologies that could be compared to typologies all over Egypt. Thus, the groundwork necessary for the ultimate goal is being laid and the changes for a future of publishable archaeological contributions has begun.
References
- Hope, Egyptian Pottery, 28.
- Orton, Pottery in Archaeology, 9.
- Wodzinska, A Manual of Egyptian Pottery: Volume 4, 4.