Ceramic Theory and Cultural Process DEAN E. ARNOLD Poff Anns hat tne CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS CAMBRIDGE LONDON NEW YORK NEW ROCHELLE MELBOURNE SYDNEY8 ‘Technological Innovations "The feedback mechanisos deseribed im previous chapters had rather direct eationshipe withthe pottery making process This chapter cone cerns the fleet of ecinlogicl innovations on the process. Some ofthese Innovations crate mew feedback mechanisms. Others mitigate the ‘ces of previously mentioned regulatory mechanisms aa fre Herat from the adverse llets of negative Feedback. The result is that these innovations provide deviation amplifying feedback for part-time spe- alization, its expansion into new areas and its evelution into full ime ral ‘One innovation that hax profil consequences for the evolution of full-time ceramic specialization is the development of forming techni- ues which speeded vessl fabrication and thus inereased produedcn ‘These techniques also help reduce the negative feback o weather ad imate. The fist uch technique is molding which permits vessel tobe rade in to yertical halves, With techniques lke medeling (or hand ‘molding), coiling or paddle and anvil forming, potery is oen made in several stages which requite drying ater each stage so that the partial ‘esse will not sag of crack when more clay is added, Inthe village of ‘Yabub in Papua New Guines, for example, poers must spend one halFhour a day for a weck to properly shape a vessel using a hand noling and paddle and ani tchiqae (Seth, 196712). Saraswats fang Beara (1966:8%7) mention eeveral techies i India hat ‘ire drying time between stages and thus extend forming time, With the vertica-half molding technique, clay can be presed into each mold and then made into a vessel with only a bie drying period—encugh to allow the clay in each halfof the mold to dry slightly before pressing the ‘wohalves ofthe mold together, The reul i that pottery ean be made faster, wit less drying ime during fabrication. In eases where pottery it made in several stages, verticl-hulf molds can eut several days trom drying ime Bosse of the drying time between stages, the amount of potery produced by traditional technique ike coiling, modified eoling and dhe ppadle and anil is telavely sal i compsvson Co the veriealall 2Techologica nneatons 208 Fagor. A poser in Chinas, Gaara, inthe arly portion of the send sage of making a ater carrying ja The ft sage (arsed upside damn he backround) model em discarded inrandonin dry atleast one da. Alter the mold ade base of Eide allen, ithscraped nd hwnd orange calle re ed end dwn opto far te body. ‘molding technique. InSacojto, Durazno and Chinautla, Guatemala, for teampe, vessels are mavl inn seriexof tages (ace Figure 3.2 and igure £21) sing a combination of molding (forthe base) and moe coiling ach stage requires as much as one day's drying Ge, For some wesels like water carrying pots, fabrication of one vessel vequites thee to four days because of drying time necessary during the fabricating process, evr pots except tiny toys and very small vessels ean be completed in single day. Ax a result, each Chinvatla potter ean only make about toenty medium water carrying weasels (tag) or four five large water rage jars (tagira) per week (Reina and Hil, 1978:41). On Buks Island (Melanesia), pottery made with + modified coiling and a pode and anvil technique requires long drying periods between stages of Fabrication and a potter may have ae many as 20-4 vessels in various stages of completion at ave ine. Oe potter took two weeks o finish toelue medium sized vessels, Since potery making ceases during the wet season (Docember-Apri), Specht (1972:128,139) suggests a maximum ‘output of 150 vessels per potter pre year. Production rates using similar technologies in other areas arealsolow Inthe the village of Waghal, Indi, «pot witha mouth of35 ema height (070-105 em and a diameter of 40 er formed using acombination of