Exchange Networks of Knowledge and Know-how Involved in Pottery Production in Mainland South-East Asia

Cécile de Francquen

The scientific community has long been interested in past exchange networks of ceramics. However, little is known about the exchange of knowledge and know-how involved in manufacturing these objects, as these aspects cannot easily be identified from the objects themselves.  In this study, I address this question in the framework of the eastern part of mainland Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and part of Northeast Thailand), based on the analysis of the chaînes opératoires used in over 80 sites that produce (or have produced until recently) domestic ceramics.  Although this research is based on ethnographic data, the use of comparative technology, cartography, and network analysis enables us to identify, highlight, and explain, where possible, the past diffusion of technical traits, as well as the networks and roads used for the exchange of knowledge between different parts of the subcontinent, giving us important insights for a better understanding of archaeological finds.