VENICE, ITALY—According to a statement released by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Ilaria Caloi and Federico Bernardini of Ca’ Foscari University and Cretan potter Vassiliki Politakis replicated the shapes of Minoan pottery vessels using a type of potter’s wheel and techniques suggested by scholars of Minoan Crete. These techniques included hand-building methods and throwing-off-the-hump, wheel-throwing from a solid clay ball, wheel-pinching, and wheel-coiling. The experimental replicas were then examined with X-ray micro-computed tomography to produce detailed 3-D images of the joints, voids, and other components of the vessels. The researchers were able to identify specific differences in the finished pottery that will help them to determine how ancient pots were constructed, without the risk of damaging them. “This research represents a significant advancement in our understanding of ancient ceramic technologies,” Caloi said. “By combining traditional and advanced imaging techniques, we can more accurately reconstruct the methods used by ancient potters, highlighting their craftsmanship and technological capabilities,” she concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science. For more, go to "The Minoans of Crete."
