Moving around the tell settlements of Central Macedonia, Greece. The case of Late Bronze Age matt-painted pottery

The phenomenon of matt-painted pottery in the LBA prehistoric societies in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece, has often attracted researchers’ interest. The published material from excavations conducted during the second half of the 20th century, such as those at the toumbas of Kastanas, Agios Mamas, Assiros, and Thessaloniki, have significantly enriched our understanding of the Bronze Age in the region. However, until recently, a cohesive comparative study of pottery from the tell settlements of the region was lacking. The present paper focuses on studying the matt-painted tableware from several sites in Central Macedonia, applying an interdisciplinary methodological toolkit. A detailed macroscopic typological and technological examination is combined with the use of ceramic petrology to investigate technological aspects such as clay selection, manufacturing techniques, firing processes, and surface treatments, to improve the under standing of local production systems and technological traditions related to the only painted ware among handmade Late Bronze Age ceramics in Macedonia. The technological characterisation of the pottery and the reconstruction of the manufacturing process indicated that the matt-painted ware differed from the undecorated tableware due to its relative standardization, suggesting a consistent range of potter choices and a limited number of production locations. Furthermore, the analysis revealed some notable patterns concerning intra- and interregional mobility dynamics in Central Macedonia and new evidence regarding social cohesion and identity among the region’s communities at the end of the LBA.