This project presents a comparative study of two major Neolithic painted pottery traditions situated at opposite ends of Eurasia: the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture in southeastern Europe and the Yangshao-Majiayao cultural sequence in northwest China. While their remarkably similar decorative repertoires have long been noted, this research moves beyond typological comparison to interrogate the technological practices and organisational structures underlying their production systems.
Focusing on material evidence from three key sites—Dobrovăț in Romania, and Majiayao and the recently identified workshop complex at Siwa in China—the project employs integrated archaeological and scientific methodologies. Its objectives are threefold: to reconstruct and compare the complete chaîne opératoire of pottery production; to analyse the organisation of craft production within their distinct settlement contexts; and to examine the long-term relationship between these technological systems and trajectories of social complexity.
By adopting a holistic perspective that integrates material, technology, production, and social dynamics, the study aims to explore the varied technological landscapes of prehistoric Eurasia and to contribute to a broader, comparative understanding of early social change and cultural formation.
Team Members
- Professor Marcos Martinon-Torres
- Professor Jianun Mei
