Identification of Vessels Produced by a Single Potter: Evidence from one Series of Vessels from the Viitenky Cemetery of the Cherniakhiv Culture

Abstract

Pottery production among the population of the Cherniakhiv culture is characterised by the widespread use of wheel-thrown vessels within its distribution area. Studies of ceramic production technology have traditionally focused on the analysis of raw materials, forming processes, and firing conditions, while individual potters' technological practices have received considerably less attention. Analysis of morphological, metric, and technological features makes it possible to consider vessels as the products of specific manufacturing practices, in which consistency of proportions, uniformity of structural elements, and forming techniques reflect an individual potter’s “signature”.
Nine wheel-thrown pots from the Viitenky burial ground were selected for analysis. They share a number of morphological features, including a flattened ovoid body, a flat base, an everted rim, and a similar profile structure. Metric ratios of the key dimensions show low variability (CV 4–5 %), indicating a tendency towards standardisation of vessel forms, whereas the ratio of base diameter to maximum diameter shows greater variability (CV 12.7 %). Technological analysis likewise demonstrates consistency in the sequence and character of the forming operations. At the same time, all the vessels exhibit technological defects, including asymmetrical trimming of the base, excessive wall thickness, and traces of repairs following defects in the base. Such imperfections indicate a limited level of potter’s skill and the possible use of less sophisticated production practices.
Thus, the combination of morphological, metric, and technological characteristics makes it possible to associate the vessels under study with the work of a single potter or a limited group of producers operating within a shared technological tradition. At the same time, the characteristic technological defects constitute additional indicators of a relatively low degree of technical proficiency and confirm the recurrence of characteristic shortcomings, thereby forming a consistent production style. The burial assemblages to which these vessels belong are dated to a closely defined chronological horizon, suggesting a relatively short period of production.