What can TACB offer to you?

•  Experience
Laurens Thissen has been working with archaeological ceramics now for over 20 years, and the sites involved range from Syria to Romania, from the Early Neolithic up to Hellenistic and Medieval pottery from Hayaz Höyük. He has been involved with the Ilıpınar Project, headed by J. Roodenberg (Leiden) in the 90s as a ceramics specialist; currently he is working with the Southern Romanian Archaeological Project (SRAP) under Douglass Bailey (Cardiff), being responsible for the pottery studies of the excavated sites. Over the years, his approach developed from a purely typo-chronological one to thinking about the materiality of pottery and its function in society. How can we find ways of analysis and method that are able to address patterns of manufacture, use, and discard, simultaneously of the objects' physical and tactual meaning for the people dealing with them. On the technological plane, Laurens collaborates with the Leiden Department of Pottery Studies under Bram van As, where they have done research into the aspects of “white paint” on Late Chalcolithic Turkish ceramics; currently they are doing stone-cooking experiments with Neolithic pots from Southern Romania, addressing issues of cooking, its meaning and impact on pottery, and the wider implications for early Neolithic society in Southern Romania.

•  Full analyses
Pottery is sorted into fabric groups, ware groups, types and categories. These are quantitatively analysed through counting and weighing. Estimated vessel equivalents (eves, evreps) are attempted through diagnostic zone counting and diameter ratios. All sherds are grouped along a size chart to establish degrees of fragmentation (counted and weighed); degrees of abrasion are assessed on a scale from 1–3. Particular attention is paid to patterns of joining. Typology is aimed at establishing emic categories. Additional analyses make use of counting, weighing, sizing of all sherd material, degrees of abrasion, use-wear assessments, drawing and photographing; setting up typological schemes, quantifying fabrics and types, where sizing of sherds helps in establishing deposition and postdepositional aspects, aspects of trampling and discard, giving insights into pottery use, discard patterns, use-lifes, but also into use and functions of spaces (pits, dwellings, middens, courtyards, pens, outdoor working areas, etc.).

•  Flexibility
TACB is flexible in the sense that basic ceramic assessment can be amplified – if wished for by the client – to include wider issues, such as the cultural position of a site's ceramic assemblage(s) related to adjoining regions, the chronological and cultural development of the pottery, its cultural and social meanings within the site and the larger region. An extension to tackle a larger perspective is feasible since TACB has a more than purely mechanic interest in the target regions.

•  Reliability
TACB guarantees comprehensive data analysis, a conscientious approach, scheduled reporting and, if required, up-to-date embedding in the regional archaeological debate.

What do you gain by using TACB?

•  Advantages
There will be several distinct advantages when you are planning to make use of TACB: you will be certain the rough sherd-work is done within a fixed period of time, and is including a detailed report; it is stand-alone work, free of supervising costs and time investment prior to the job at hand. TACB is not necessarily bound to excavation programmes; the time scheduled is fully committed to the task at hand. Using TACB will not weigh on the staffing. After the job is done, the client will have no further obligations to TACB.

•  Teaching
When it so happens that TACB is scheduled while the excavation is going on, there are several ways of integrating its expertise with the team. TACB offers the possibility through practical tutorials to students to learn more about the basics of pottery analysis (fabric and ware groups, typology, use-wear, etc.), drawing and photographing, reporting and publishing. TACB can also provide supervision to those who seriously consider taking up the craft of a “ceramics specialist” themselves. In such a way, using TACB can contribute in tying students to the ceramic work of the particular site, creating feedback to the client's project back home, and which will be of benefit to the particular scientific programme as a whole.