Pottery marks in the form of a three-petaled rosette from Vladimir: experience of trace wear analysis

Among relief images on the bottoms of grey clay pots discovered duringexcavations of the sites in the Vladimir-Suzdal Land, fragments of vessels with a three-petaled rosette are of special interest. They have been discovered in the layers in Vladimirdated to the second half of the 12th - early 13th centuries, the layers in Suzdal dated tothe second half of the 11th-12th centuries and the layers in Yaropolch Zalessky datedto the second half of the 12th - early 13th centuries. These marks are not found beyondthe boundaries of the Vladimir-Suzdal Land. Most marks of this group originate fromVladimir. The three-petaled rosette has been discovered in all parts of the city andis the most frequently found mark in Vladimir. The study of this group of materials hasrevealed a series of marks identified as impressions of one intaglio matrix (i. e. madeon the same potter’s wheel). This publication describes the experience of the tracewearanalysis and testing of the criteria used to identify impressions of one intaglio matrixof the potter’s wheel turned by hand.