THE ROLE OF SCIENCE-BASED METHODS IN THE STUDY OF ANCIENT POTTERY AS A SOURCE OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION

The article discusses the effi cacy of modern science-based methods within the framework of various research approaches and the opportunities they provide in the study of ancient ceramics as a source of historical evidence. It is the authors’ opinion that a combined historical and cultural approach is the most promising that has been proposed to date. Such methods can only be successfully applied given close, creative collaboration between experts in the fi elds of both ancient ceramics and the natural sciences.