Early Helladic I and Talioti pottery : is it just a phase we’re going through?

This paper discusses the analysis of Early Bronze Age ‘Talioti’‐style ceramics found at sites in the Argolid and Corinthia, in the north‐east Peloponnese of mainland Greece. It presents the results of an integrated methodology that addresses questions relating to the potential sources of raw materials, the identification of potting practices, and the exchange of such vessels during the Early Bronze Age period. The work places site‐based results within a broader spatial and temporal context, specifically examining how this characteristic ceramic assemblage has been used as a chronological and cultural marker for the Early Bronze Age 1 (EB I) period in the north‐east Peloponnese. We argue that ‘Talioti’ pottery comprises the outcome of specific sets of knowledge, reputation and social practice in both its production and consumption, and that it is the determination of the location and method of production that allows an effective understanding of its chronological and spatial distribution. The case study is used to critically assess cultural and chronological interpretation of typological studies of ceramics, arguing that analytical understandings of provenance and technology are now fundamental to understanding both cultural identity and the passage of time.