Archaeological implications of ethnographically grounded functional study of pottery from Nyanga, Zimbabwe

Journal article

The value of typological analyses of pottery in global archaeology is widely acknowledged. However, pottery typologies in southern Africa are frequently criticised for one-dimensionally revealing more about decorations on pots and not their function and meaning to people that made and used them. This motivated an experiment to combine functional and stylistic variables of pottery from modern-day Nyanga district, in north-eastern Zimbabwe to develop alternative ways of approaching archaeological pottery. With the alertness that the present and the past are different, even in contexts of strong cultural continuity, we applied the results of the experiment to a collection of archaeological pottery from Nyanga tradition (CE 1300–1900) sites. For the recent past, the study indicated that vessel shapes strongly correlated with names and functions of pottery across the mundane, ritual and symbolic worlds. Comparisons with the archaeological picture identified a similarity of shapes between the past and the present. This stimulated reflections on a wide array of quotidian roles and functions that pottery fulfilled for Nyanga populations in the deep past. The conclusion to the paper is that functional classifications, particularly when combined with style, are a strong alternative to dominant classification schemes which enlighten more on people and not the vessels. However, the robustness of such an approach must be firmed up with the application of techniques from the material, chemical, and molecular techniques to develop a holistic view of pottery and its role in everyday practice at individual, community and societal levels.

Authors: Nyamushosho, RT; Chirikure, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Quaternary International
• Volume: 555
• Issue: 30 July 2020
• Pages: 150-164
• Publication date: 2020-04-08
• Acceptance date: 2020-03-23
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.03.041
• ISSN: 1040-6182
• Language: English
• Keywords: African centred knowledge; Nyanga pottery; Functional typology; Experimental archaeology; FFR