Woman and Pottery Making in Suburbs of Mekelle City: the Case of Debri, Gembella and May Alem Kebelles. An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

Pottery making is a skilled practice of changing clay into fired pots. From ethnoarchaeoogical perspective, the craft involves various material cultures used in different stages of the production. The principal objective of this study was to document the way in which potters process clay and produce pot objects by investigating the living material cultures of the craft in Suburbs of Mekelle. Interview, observations and survey were used as the main sources of data collection instruments. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. Though similarities with other areas are manifested in the clay extraction, decoration and firing stages of production, the use of different clay types for a single pot typology is unique tradition a among the potters in the study area. The proximity of the research areas to a century aged town which is now under extensive expansion has threatened the craft. Thus, ethno-archaeological investigation of the area helped to document the ethnographic data before its complete disappearance. The social ranking of the potters alongside the other crafts men and the non-craft person is also addressed. Labor division was another interesting topic raised. Pottery in the suburbs of Mekelle is exclusively made, transported and marketed by woman and is gendered. Significant archaeological implications and behaviors were hinted.