Abstract

Former research on the painted and "graphitic" ceramics focused mainly on their origins, formal and stylistic analyses and symbolic meanings of the painted motifs. As far as the pottery manufacturing process is concerned, dominate vague and general information that are being quoted over and over again, yet they lack in reliable conclusions. Difficulties occur at the level of identification of particular categories of pottery. Some general knowledge may be obtained from the macroscopic observations, which find their reflection in archaeological publications. Physico-chemical analyses of visually different painted, "graphitic" and blackened ceramics will fill the current gap in research on this subject. Thanks to the analyses it was possible to determine specification, identification and establishing of the origins of raw materials used in pottery, forming techniques, surface processing, types of ornamentation and firing temperature, and what follows - ways of firing