The idea is to gather together scho

The idea is to gather together scholars working on the subject of the "beginning of the earliest ceramic productions" in diverse cultural, geographical and climatic contexts and build up an original and dynamic dialogue on this crucial archaeological and anthropological issue, opening a inter-cultural interactive discussion on the reasons that led to the emergence of ceramic technology in the various regions of the world; and on how this new fundamental transformative (sensu G. Childe) technology may have had different social meanings and functions depending on the specific context and cultural landscape.
Particularly, we are interested in observing the reasons that led to the invention of pottery among Mesolithic/ pre-farming cultures of northern Europe, East Asia and North Africa / Sudan (our field of research) and also to compare these regions with the earliest pottery-bearing sites in the Near East, where the "invention" of ceramic occurred after the transition to a sedentary lifestyle and the introduction of the earliest farming practices.
We are keen to discuss together on the possible connections and routes between North Africa, Mediterranean and Near East, and also to reflect on possible links and similarities between regions which are geographically apparently distant but can instead share similar economical and cultural scenarios (the earliest African and Asian ceramic bearing-cultures were hunter-fisher and gatherer communities living in semi-sedentary conditions and strongly economically dependent on the local aquatic environment. Also, the invention of pottery can be seen, in these regions, in connection with the exploitation of the aquatic resources and the wide range of activities in which those people were involved). Regardless of the geographical and chronological context, the first appearance of ceramics appears universally linked with increased sedentism, exploitation of new resources and with the building of a more active and conscious relationship between the human groups and the environment.
Eventually, we want to open our debate also to include modern ethnographic contexts in order to add further incentives and bases for archaeological comparison on the topic ceramic, food ways and traditions.