| Abstract: |
In the past two to three decades prehistoric pottery analyses in Thailand have developed to where scientific methods have become almost standard preocedure. In particular, petrographic techniques, drawn from geology, allow a more detailed and precise understanding of pottery fabrics and potting clays. Assemblages from several regions have been analysed and a considerable database is now available. Broad descriptions of ware compositions, although limited as stand-alone single-site assessments, can provide important background information, with potting clay preparation techniques being of particular importance. Such information is especially useful when it applies to broad-scale regional or intra-site trends. This has encouraged the preliminary assessment presented here, as a first attempt to establish whether the available data can provide an overview of potting technology prior to and during the early Bronze Age in Thailand. A broad outline of potting technologies is given. In some regions the availiable evidence permits quite detailed assesments, in others the necessary data are sketchy or absent. In spite of this, an attempt will be made to determine whether this data can throw sufficient light on pottery technology complexitiy in the period prior to the presence of metal in archaeological contexts. Whether adjustments to traditional potting techniques occurred following the introduction of bronze will also be considered.
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