Materializing identities: An African perspective

Archaeological approaches to social boundaries are currently emphasizing th e dynamic nature of processes thought which individuals construct, maintain , and negotiate their identity. Although the integration of such concepts h as led to a more accurate reconstruction of past social boundaries, it has also revealed a need for more sophisticated ways of interpreting material c ulture. This paper is a step in that direction. Focusing on pottery chaines operatoires and addressing questions about the salience and scale of parti cular behaviors, I seek to develop general propositions regarding the relat ionships between technological styles and aspects of social identity. To th at end, I compare African pottery techniques at a subcontinental level and see whether there are recurrent patterns in their distribution and whether these can be related to specific social boundaries or historical processes of group formation.