Regional Differences in Pottery Repertoires: Two Case Studies

Regional differences in pottery production occur in terms of raw material, manufacturing

technology and the range of vessel shapes in use. The latter does not only depend on the type
of context of use (settlement/tomb/cult activity/industrial installations). Chronological
differences may also play an important role, because it is often difficult to date material
culture precisely within dynasties unless an undisturbed context is directly connected with a
well dated monument. For each case a separate study is required in order to find explanatory
models for such differences.

In Egypt, especially before and after the Middle Kingdom, such differences in ceramics have
been explained frequently with the breakdown of central administration which is supposed to
also govern the production process of pottery. Whilst this is probably true for some types of
material, we do not find many pottery workshops, and pictorial evidence and three
dimensional models suggest that larger estates also encompassed pottery workshops
sometimes. This may explain some of the differences we see in the material. I would like to
present two case studies to illustrate problems and questions concerning pottery production,
one for the early Middle Kingdom (Herakleopolis Magna and Deir el-Bersha) and one for the
late Middle Kingdom (Tell el-Daba and Kom RAbia/Memphis).