Abstract
This essay examines the relationship between artefact variability and social difference through an analysis of ceramic vessels recovered from the vicinity of a shared well used during the 12th–14th centuries CE at Maski (South India). Defined by minor yet perceptible differences in their appearance and morphology, ceramic vessels that were used and discarded in this space were more variable than contemporary assemblages excavated elsewhere at Maski, and in the region. Rather than attribute the particularities of this assemblage to the production process and its organization alone, I suggest that the distinctiveness of these containers was expedient for navigating the communal, yet fraught, space of the well. I consider historical and epigraphical material alongside the ceramic dataset at hand to propose that variability may not express or embody social difference, but be used to enact it.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
