Pottery fragments found during archaeological excavations can reveal much more than might initially seem. By analysing their composition and structure, researchers can determine where the clay was sourced, what materials were added to it, and how ancient people made their vessels. In Latvia, this type of research is carried out by researcher Vanda Haferberga. For her work, she has received the Baltic States Scholarship for Women in Science.
Doctor of Humanities Vanda Haferberga was awarded the Baltic States Scholarship for Women in Science for her research “Early Neolithic Pottery in the Territory of Latvia: Technology, Origin and Distribution”.
Haferberga acknowledged that when she first began her studies, she had not imagined that she would later pursue doctoral studies and become a researcher.
“I had already completed one year of bachelor’s studies in the history programme, and then there was an archaeological fieldwork placement. I took part in it as well, and it was very exciting. I did not know what it would be like, because one thing is what you are told in lectures and in theory – ‘this kind of layer, that kind of layer’ – but I had no idea how it all worked in real life,” she recalls.
While taking part in archaeological excavations at Krievkalns in Skrunda, she realised that this was something that genuinely interested her.
During the first week of the excavations, a very large quantity of pottery fragments was found, and someone was needed to wash and sort them all. “I really wanted to try absolutely everything that archaeological excavations could offer. So I volunteered. I simply raised my hand and said, ‘I’ll do the washing.’ That is how it all started,” she said.
During her doctoral studies, Vanda Haferberga focused on a specific field of archaeology. Her research is related to the study of ancient pottery vessels through the analysis of thin sections.
“A very, very small piece is cut from a pottery fragment. At that stage it is still relatively large, but essentially about a millimetre thick. Then, after extensive polishing and grinding, a very thin section is prepared, which is analysed under a specialised petrographic microscope using both cross-polarised and polarised light.”
All of this makes it possible to determine the origin of the vessel, including where the clay and various inclusions came from, as well as to understand the technology used to make it.
The young researcher’s contribution to science and to their shared work is highly valued by her colleagues. Mārcis Kalniņš, a researcher at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia (UL), said: “Pottery is one of those areas of research that is very important because pottery often makes up the majority of finds recovered during excavations. Researchers are needed who are able to identify it and say precisely what it is. This is knowledge that a person and researcher acquires through practical experience by working with the material.”
Valdis Bērziņš, leading researcher at the Institute of Latvian History of the University of Latvia, commented: “There was no specialist in Latvia, or indeed in the Baltic States more broadly, who was doing this kind of work. Through her initiative, fearlessness, scientific ability and competence, Vanda has developed this field herself, which has been a major challenge.”
The young researcher also noted that what fascinates her about science is that every day brings something new, making it a kind of adventure.
