Research data: Continuity Amid Transformation: An Analysis of Pottery Production from the Late La Tène to Early Roman Periods in Eastern Bohemia

Data used in the research presented in the article titled "Continuity Amid Transformation: An Analysis of Pottery Production from the Late La Tène to Early Roman Periods in Eastern Bohemia".

Abstract of the article:

At the end of the La Tène period and the beginning of the Roman period in the first century BC, society in Central Europe underwent a significant transformation, which included notable changes in pottery production. This transformation is often attributed to the collapse of the social structures of the La Tène period and the arrival of a new population. Pottery production, in particular, is generally considered to have undergone a complete transformation.

However, previous studies on this transition have primarily focused on the stylistic analysis of shapes and decorations, as illustrated by the pottery assemblage from Slepotice (Eastern Bohemia). In order to obtain additional data on the transitional period, this study of pottery from Slepotice incorporates analyses of the materials used and the manufacturing process through macroscopic observation, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and thin-section analysis. These analyses provide new insights into the differences in pottery production and distribution during the first century BC.

Our research indicates that while the transformation included the collapse of the La Tène socioeconomic network, it did not result in a complete break in the pottery production process.

Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105073

List of the files:

Supplementary Material 1Settlement structure in the vicinity of Slepotice during the La Tène and Roman periods: 1 – Slepotice, 2 – České Lhotice, 3 – Brčekoly, 4 – Chrudim

Supplementary Material 2Values of pottery attributes (Mat, InMn, InVar, In, traces left from the shaping process, Po, Vy, and morphological groups) classified based on macroscopic observation

Supplementary material 3Schematic classification of rim attributes, illustrating different variants of rim direction (Op), thickening of the upper part of the rim (Oz), and trimming of the lip (Os)

Supplementary material 4Attributes of the 30 samples selected for XRF analysis based on macroscopic observation. These attributes include fabric properties, surface treatment, morphological features, and technological traces

Supplementary material 5Figures of ceramic samples (with corresponding IDs) from feature 144/1998 showing preserved rims and bases

Supplementary material 6Figures of ceramic samples (with corresponding IDs) from feature 355/2001 showing preserved rims

Supplementary Material 7Chemical composition of 30 selected samples according to XRF analysis (main oxides in wt%, and elements in ppm)

Supplementary Material 8Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results: The scree plot (top left) visualises the proportion of variance explained by each principal component. The biplots (top right and bottom right) illustrate the distribution of samples, with arrows indicating the contribution of specific elements to the observed variance. The dendrogram (bottom left) shows hierarchical clustering of the samples, aiding in the selection of representative samples for thin-section petrographic analysis

Supplementary Material 9Relationships between the dating and other attributes of pottery classified based on macroscopic observation. These attributes include fabric properties, surface treatment, morphological features, and technological traces

Supplementary Material 10Relationships between the chemical groups (determined by XRF analysis) and pottery attributes classified based on macroscopic observation. These attributes include fabric properties, surface treatment, morphological features, and technological traces

Supplementary Material 11Petrography of fabric groups and subgroups, focusing on their properties. The evaluation begins with a general assessment of each fabric group as a whole, followed by a detailed examination of its subgroups

Supplementary Material 12Petrographic characterization of ceramics using a semiquantitative scale, simplified for statistical analysis (0.1 – trace, 0.5 – rare, 1 – occasional, 2 – common, 3 – frequent, 4 – abundant, 5 – dominant)

Supplementary Material 13Thin-section samples: Description of the ceramic matrix, natural inclusions, and added tempers

Supplementary material 14Variations in chemical composition among different fabric groups