Ethnoarchaeological examination of workspaces for rural producers of market-oriented wares

Abstract

Communities of traditional female potters produced thousands of utilitarian market-oriented wares from local clays on the islands of Cyprus and Luzon in the 1980s. They worked inside and outside their homes, together with members of their nuclear family, or in a communal workspace. Although the physical evidence of production tends to be sparse, the two ethnoarchaeological studies of craft specialists discussed here provide clues to identify ancient potters who worked in their household courtyards. In Cyprus, a partial move to a dedicated village workspace, away from home courtyards, initiated the use of a communal kiln and a shift from reliance on help from spouses and children. At the same time, continuity prevailed for independent potters who continued to work at home. The household production of market-oriented pottery, by male and female craftspeople in Cyprus and the Philippines, supported their family and village while meeting the needs of customers in villages and towns.