African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present: Techniques, Identification and Distribution

African Pottery Roulettes Past and Present considers ethnographic, museological and archaeological approaches to pottery-decorating tools called roulettes, that is to say, short lengths of fibre or wood that are rolled over the surface of a vessel for decoration. This book sets out, for the first time, a solid typology for the classification of African pottery decorated with such tools, and forges a consensus on common methodology and standards. It gives an overview of history of research into roulette decoration in Africa and elsewhere Jomon Japan, Neolithic Europe, Siberia, and New York among others; outlines the contemporary distribution of roulette usage in sub-Saharan African today, a 'success story' from Senegal to Tanzania; and proposes methodologies for the identification of selected roulette decoration types in the archaeological record. By achieving standardisation in pottery analysis, this book will help researchers make meaningful comparisons between different sites of West Africa, and thus guide further research on the West African past. As roulette decoration has been such a global phenomenon in the past, the book will also be of interest to all researchers with an interest in ceramics from different parts of the world.

Table of Contents:
African Pottery Poulettes Past and Present: Techniques, Identification and Distribution. Maps Introduction Roulettes as markers of individual and social style Identifying and classifying African roulettes: previous studies Fibre roulettes beyond Africa Section 1: Modern roulettes in sub-Saharan Africa Introduction: classification and nomenclature of African roulettes Principals of classification Materials Manipulations Material – manipulation systems Objective and references Choise of ethnographic referents Popular classifications Scientific classifications Simple roulettes Simple cord roulettes Twisted cord roulettes Braided cord roulettes Knotted cord roulettes Simple strip roulettes Folded strip roulettes Knitted strip roulettes Roulettes on a core Rouletttes on a continuous core Cord wrapped on a continuous core Braided cords on a continuous core Braided strips on a continuous core Roulettes on an independent core Roulettes on a single independent core Roulettes on multiple independent core Roulettes consisting of modified materials Carved wooded or bone culinders Inflorescences and fruits Specification and distribution Unmodified objects Shells Manufactured objects Section 2: A method of identification for rolled impressed decorations Introduction General principles and practical aspects General principles: identification of the tools and the actions Practical aspects The identification process Analysing ethnographic tools and their impressions: some examples Discussion and conclusion Section 3: Introductory note: How archaeologists work Twisted cord roulette Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Variants on twisted cord roulettes Knotted twisted cord roulettes Looped twisted cord roulette Terminology and distribution Sources of confusion Selected archaeological instances Cord-wrapped roulette Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Unmodified central core Split stick core Multiple stick core Terminology and distribution Selected archaeological instances Sources of confusion Braided cord roulette (Simple and composite) Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Three- or four-cord braid: simple and composite Double four-cord braid: simple and composite Twelve-cord braid: composite Terminology and distribution Selected archaeological material Sources of confusion Folded strip roulette Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Terminology and distribution Selected archaeological instances Sources of confusion Knotted strip roulette Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Terminology and distribution Selected archaeological instances Sources of confusion Braided strip roulette Appearance of the archaeological material Description of the tool Terminology and distribution Selected archaeological instances Sources of confusion