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No pottery at the western periphery of Europe: why was the Final Mesolithic of Britain and Ireland aceramic?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2020

Ben Elliott Open the ORCID record for Ben Elliott [Opens in a new window] ,
Aimée Little Open the ORCID record for Aimée Little [Opens in a new window] ,
Graeme Warren Open the ORCID record for Graeme Warren [Opens in a new window] ,
Alexandre Lucquin Open the ORCID record for Alexandre Lucquin [Opens in a new window] ,
Edward Blinkhorn  and
Oliver E. Craig Open the ORCID record for Oliver E. Craig [Opens in a new window]
Ben Elliott*
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Ireland
Aimée Little
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK
Graeme Warren
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Ireland
Alexandre Lucquin
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK
Edward Blinkhorn
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, University College London, UK
Oliver E. Craig
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK
*
*Author for correspondence: ✉ [email protected]
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Abstract

The past decade has witnessed an intensification of research into the use of pottery by hunter-gatherers. Long viewed by Western scholars as a marginal practice among these groups, pottery production is now known to have been widespread among prehistoric hunter-gatherers, many of whom practised no other activities associated with agriculture. In emphasising the centrality of ceramics to these communities, however, we risk marginalising those who did not adopt pottery. Here, the authors critically examine a series of different models proposed for hunter-gatherer pottery innovation and adoption within the context of the aceramic communities who inhabited Britain and Ireland during the fifth millennium cal BC.

Keywords

BritainIrelandMesolithichunter-gatherersceramic technology
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 94 , Issue 377 , October 2020 , pp. 1152 - 1167
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2020

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