The most frequent find in most archaeological sites is pottery, and the study of pottery – ceramics – is the backbone upon which much other work depends. Since the early days of archaeology, ceramic studies have served as the anchor of site chronologies, and, although we now also have other ways of dating, ceramics remain a key aspect in understanding the periodization of sites and the relations between them. Ceramic studies have also moved beyond the early days of chronological studies and now explore issues such as cultural contact and hybridization, production processes, social and group identity, and food practices.
