Papers by Sabine Patzke
Comparing Innovative Strategies. Serial Production of the Paestan Workshop of Asteas and Python and Etruscan ceramica sovraddipinta, 2021
This paper discusses Paestan and Etruscan figured vases, both produced in approximately the same ... more This paper discusses Paestan and Etruscan figured vases, both produced in approximately the same period (4th to 3rd century BC) and roughly in the same area. By comparing them, we examine which factors might have promoted the apparent serialization of these vases, and to what extent their repetitive vase-paintings resulted from serial production processes.
Traditions and Innovations. Tracking the Development of Pottery from the Late Classical to the Early Imperial Periods. Proceedings of the 1st conference of IARPotHP, Berlin, November 2013, 7th-10th, 2016
Applying the modern theory of innovation on the Hellenistic pottery ware of ceramica sovraddipint... more Applying the modern theory of innovation on the Hellenistic pottery ware of ceramica sovraddipinta opens up a new way of interpreting the change in their design over the course of roughly 250 years: this change from a production of single pieces in a Greek tradition to one of clearly Etruscan vases with standardized forms and more or less standardized painted decorations does not necessarily stand for an impoverishment of the pottery production. At least in the case of the ceramica sovraddipinta it can contrarily be explained as an advantage for the workshops in economic terms because this way of production was more cost efficient and the resulting ware had a distinct, recognizable look. Furthermore, it allowed for a larger output of vases while maintaining their quality. However, one of the biggest benefits of the innovations was that it allowed for both: individually designed vases and “mass market products”.
Talks by Sabine Patzke
Die etruskische ceramica sovvradipinta - eine Untersuchung aus der Perspektive der Innovationstheorie, 2019
Diffusion of innovations is a theory that investigates how and why innovations are accepted in ex... more Diffusion of innovations is a theory that investigates how and why innovations are accepted in existing systems. As every change can be viewed in terms of innovation, this theory can also be applied to ancient material and its development over time. In this paper I showed that employing this theory for the study of the Etruscan 4th c. BCE ceramica sovraddipinta allows a new understanding of its apparent decline: the seemingly disadvantageous standardization might be an advantage in economic terms. Still, the theory cannot be used without adjustments as many factors that are part of it cannot be detected for antiquity.
Die etruskische ceramica sovraddipinta, eine Vasengattung, bei der die Bildern aus tonbasierten F... more Die etruskische ceramica sovraddipinta, eine Vasengattung, bei der die Bildern aus tonbasierten Farben auf den Glanzton aufgemalt wurden, wurde in der Vergangenheit oft als minderwertiger Ersatz für oder eine lokale Imitation von attisch rotfiguriger Keramik für den etruskischen Markt, gelegentlich auch beschränkt auf den Grabgebrauch, beschrieben.
Während für die frühen Vasen dieser Technik eine Bezeichnung als pseudo-rotfigurig vertretbar ist, erlaubt schon das grundsätzlich andere und distinkte Erscheinungsbild der sovraddipinta-Vasen des 4. und 3. Jhs. nicht, von einer reinen Nachahmung zu sprechen. Um der These der ceramica sovraddipinta als „Ersatzkeramik“ nachzugehen, werden in meinem Beitrag ausgewählte Fundkontexte genauer untersucht. In welchen Kontexten kommt ceramica sovraddipinta vor? Mit welchen anderen Gattungen war sie vergesellschaftet? An Stelle welcher anderer Objekte konnte sie möglicherweise treten? Wie und von wem wurde sie für welchen Zweck genutzt? Auf diese Weise zeigt sich, dass ihr Einsatz vielfältiger war als bisher angenommen und ihre Betrachtung als bloßes Substitut für mutmaßlich schwer erhältliche attisch rotfigurige Vasen zu kurz greift.
The aim of this paper was to discuss the theory of innovation and product life-cycles on the basi... more The aim of this paper was to discuss the theory of innovation and product life-cycles on the basis of the Etruscan ceramica sovraddipinta, a type of pottery that was produced from the classical period on and found its end only in the context of the general cultural changes that happened when early republican Rome took over more and more parts of what before was Etruria. I presented possible reasons for the commercial success of these vases. While other local painted pottery types had already been abandoned earlier, the sovraddipinta technique even spread.
In previous studies the so called ceramica sovraddipinta has been considered as an Etruscan imitation of or a substitute for Attic red-figure pottery for the local market. However, taking into account other explanations and examining the development of this type of pottery more closely, it becomes evident that far more information can be gained: ceramica sovraddipinta came up in Etruria at about 480 BC. as an adoption of the Attic so-called Six’s technique, which was one of the several different innovations that came up when black-figure did not seem to suffice anymore for the interests of Attic artists and customers.
While the first Etruscan ceramica sovraddipinta vases actually looked very similar to the pieces imported from Greece, the potters in Etruria soon developed a style of their own for this type of pottery. This seems partly to arise due to the necessity of finding its very own distinctive look when other new types of pottery found their way into the repertoire of the Etruscan potters. Ceramica sovraddipinta now had to compete not only with Attic imports but also for example with Etruscan red-figure pottery and for economic success it had to be recognisable. Furthermore, a more and more standardised appearance of these vases shows that technological innovations must have taken place within the workshops.
As a result of these innovations in the production process, the quantity of vases manufactured in one single workshop could be increased so that ceramica sovraddipinta finally became a ware that was exported to large parts of the Appenine peninsula and the Tyrrhenian coasts during the fourth and third century BC. This development can be described in terms of theory of innovation and product life-cycles.
My paper shows that the standardised appearance of the vases, often explained as a simplification and therefore an impoverishment or decline of the pottery production, was rather an advantage for the workshops in economic terms.
Conference Presentations by Sabine Patzke
Panel 3.18
XIX. International Congress of Classical Archaeology „Archaeology and Economy in the ... more Panel 3.18
XIX. International Congress of Classical Archaeology „Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World“ in Köln und Bonn
May 24, 2018
Conference Organisation by Sabine Patzke
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Papers by Sabine Patzke
Talks by Sabine Patzke
Während für die frühen Vasen dieser Technik eine Bezeichnung als pseudo-rotfigurig vertretbar ist, erlaubt schon das grundsätzlich andere und distinkte Erscheinungsbild der sovraddipinta-Vasen des 4. und 3. Jhs. nicht, von einer reinen Nachahmung zu sprechen. Um der These der ceramica sovraddipinta als „Ersatzkeramik“ nachzugehen, werden in meinem Beitrag ausgewählte Fundkontexte genauer untersucht. In welchen Kontexten kommt ceramica sovraddipinta vor? Mit welchen anderen Gattungen war sie vergesellschaftet? An Stelle welcher anderer Objekte konnte sie möglicherweise treten? Wie und von wem wurde sie für welchen Zweck genutzt? Auf diese Weise zeigt sich, dass ihr Einsatz vielfältiger war als bisher angenommen und ihre Betrachtung als bloßes Substitut für mutmaßlich schwer erhältliche attisch rotfigurige Vasen zu kurz greift.
In previous studies the so called ceramica sovraddipinta has been considered as an Etruscan imitation of or a substitute for Attic red-figure pottery for the local market. However, taking into account other explanations and examining the development of this type of pottery more closely, it becomes evident that far more information can be gained: ceramica sovraddipinta came up in Etruria at about 480 BC. as an adoption of the Attic so-called Six’s technique, which was one of the several different innovations that came up when black-figure did not seem to suffice anymore for the interests of Attic artists and customers.
While the first Etruscan ceramica sovraddipinta vases actually looked very similar to the pieces imported from Greece, the potters in Etruria soon developed a style of their own for this type of pottery. This seems partly to arise due to the necessity of finding its very own distinctive look when other new types of pottery found their way into the repertoire of the Etruscan potters. Ceramica sovraddipinta now had to compete not only with Attic imports but also for example with Etruscan red-figure pottery and for economic success it had to be recognisable. Furthermore, a more and more standardised appearance of these vases shows that technological innovations must have taken place within the workshops.
As a result of these innovations in the production process, the quantity of vases manufactured in one single workshop could be increased so that ceramica sovraddipinta finally became a ware that was exported to large parts of the Appenine peninsula and the Tyrrhenian coasts during the fourth and third century BC. This development can be described in terms of theory of innovation and product life-cycles.
My paper shows that the standardised appearance of the vases, often explained as a simplification and therefore an impoverishment or decline of the pottery production, was rather an advantage for the workshops in economic terms.
Conference Presentations by Sabine Patzke
XIX. International Congress of Classical Archaeology „Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World“ in Köln und Bonn
May 24, 2018
Conference Organisation by Sabine Patzke
Während für die frühen Vasen dieser Technik eine Bezeichnung als pseudo-rotfigurig vertretbar ist, erlaubt schon das grundsätzlich andere und distinkte Erscheinungsbild der sovraddipinta-Vasen des 4. und 3. Jhs. nicht, von einer reinen Nachahmung zu sprechen. Um der These der ceramica sovraddipinta als „Ersatzkeramik“ nachzugehen, werden in meinem Beitrag ausgewählte Fundkontexte genauer untersucht. In welchen Kontexten kommt ceramica sovraddipinta vor? Mit welchen anderen Gattungen war sie vergesellschaftet? An Stelle welcher anderer Objekte konnte sie möglicherweise treten? Wie und von wem wurde sie für welchen Zweck genutzt? Auf diese Weise zeigt sich, dass ihr Einsatz vielfältiger war als bisher angenommen und ihre Betrachtung als bloßes Substitut für mutmaßlich schwer erhältliche attisch rotfigurige Vasen zu kurz greift.
In previous studies the so called ceramica sovraddipinta has been considered as an Etruscan imitation of or a substitute for Attic red-figure pottery for the local market. However, taking into account other explanations and examining the development of this type of pottery more closely, it becomes evident that far more information can be gained: ceramica sovraddipinta came up in Etruria at about 480 BC. as an adoption of the Attic so-called Six’s technique, which was one of the several different innovations that came up when black-figure did not seem to suffice anymore for the interests of Attic artists and customers.
While the first Etruscan ceramica sovraddipinta vases actually looked very similar to the pieces imported from Greece, the potters in Etruria soon developed a style of their own for this type of pottery. This seems partly to arise due to the necessity of finding its very own distinctive look when other new types of pottery found their way into the repertoire of the Etruscan potters. Ceramica sovraddipinta now had to compete not only with Attic imports but also for example with Etruscan red-figure pottery and for economic success it had to be recognisable. Furthermore, a more and more standardised appearance of these vases shows that technological innovations must have taken place within the workshops.
As a result of these innovations in the production process, the quantity of vases manufactured in one single workshop could be increased so that ceramica sovraddipinta finally became a ware that was exported to large parts of the Appenine peninsula and the Tyrrhenian coasts during the fourth and third century BC. This development can be described in terms of theory of innovation and product life-cycles.
My paper shows that the standardised appearance of the vases, often explained as a simplification and therefore an impoverishment or decline of the pottery production, was rather an advantage for the workshops in economic terms.
XIX. International Congress of Classical Archaeology „Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World“ in Köln und Bonn
May 24, 2018