Social dynamics at the Augland ceramic workshop: The introduction of soapstone paste recipes from the Roman Iron Age and early Migration Period in southernmost Norway

Abstract

This article focuses on the transmission of technological knowledge and social change at Augland in southernmost Norway around AD 200–450/60. In the first 150 years of this period the Augland artisans produced a regionally standard and relatively “frozen” set of pottery shaped by coiling/roughout techniques and tempered with granites (known as the southern mode), while the final century was characterised by a dual production mode that also included the manufacture of the novel and regionally distinct bucket-shaped pottery (known as the western mode). The latter was made using a markedly different plate/ mould technique, eventually tempered with soapstone and asbestos. The social dynamics behind this technological change remain ambiguous, and the long-forgotten Augland site offers a unique opportunity in this regard, being the only known locality where soapstone tempering was incorporated into the southern mode. This study explores how and why the new material entered the production of the typical bucket-shaped type. At the same time, however, the evidence clearly indicates that potters experimented with soapstone for other ceramic pastes and shapes, even across crafts. We approach the material in four analytical stages: (1) analysis of raw material content; (2) evaluation of craft specialization; (3) fine-tuning the chronology for ceramic recipes; and (4) discussion of the social dynamics of knowledge transmission.

Social dynamics at the Augland ceramic workshop: The introduction of soapstone paste recipes from the Roman Iron Age and early Migration Period in southernmost Norway