Archontoula Barouda

As part of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network (ITN) PlaCe, this doctoral research project investigates the ceramic and plaster technologies and traditions at the Neolithic site of Makri in Northern Greece, the only systematically excavated Middle and Late Neolithic site in the region of Aegean Thrace and an important contact zone between Anatolia and the Balkans.

Many details of this coastal tell settlement have been preserved, including rich ceramic assemblages, post-framed houses, lime-plastered floors and clay structures. Previous initial research studies suggest that a long-lasting local ceramic tradition may have existed in the site, whilst the repeated pattern of reconstruction of formal lime-plastered floors during the settlement’s lifespan indicates cycles of renovation at Makri subject to communal decisions. Both these material types suggest the practice of craft activities with potential economic and social impact that are worth exploring through developing a better understanding of their production.

Under this scope, the project will examine the origins and development of ceramic and plaster making traditions of Makri, following an integrated interdisciplinary approach based on the macroscopic, petrographic, chemical and mineralogical characterisation of the ceramic and lime-plastered materials from the site. By documenting the craft technology and traditions of its inhabitants, the research study aims to add to the picture of the function of the site and the cultural development of settled agropastoral societies in south-eastern Europe during the 6th and 5th millennium BC. As part of the PlaCe-ITN programme, this project also aims to provide accessible and interoperable databases and protocols for the systematic study of the most abundant materials in the archaeological sites, facilitating the communication between researchers from different disciplines in the field of archaeological science.

Funded 

Early Stage Researcher (ESR) PhD Fellowship, awarded by Europe’s Horizon2020, the EU Research and Innovation funding programme, as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA).

Education

• BA, Archaeology and History of Art, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2016
• MA, Prehistoric Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2018
• MSc, Archaeological Sciences: Technology and Materials, UCL, 2020

Ceramic and Plaster Technologies and Traditions at Neolithic Makri, Thrace, Greece (CPG Barcelona 2021)