IDENTIFYING SIGNS IN THE EARTHENWARE POTTERY
Survey of a terracotta dish from the Aurès Mountains (Algeria)
ABSTRACT
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Photo & private collection © C.Sorand |
This paper is first concerned with a large terracotta dish found in the El-Abiod Valley located on the southern side of the mountain range. Squaring the circle is a rather common type of pottery among the Chawi Berbers, who inhabit the Aurès.
Four protuberances indicate the four corners of the square, whereas the dish sides are slightly curved. This first visual sign mixes the cosmic circle with the square that stands for the Earth. As this pottery was used for cooking, it is raw on the outside. Only its inside has therefore been decorated. A large Sun effigy characterizes the dish with nine sun rays but we can also see five dots in the lower part. Right at the center of the larger brown circle representing the Sun, there is a hollow center, a rather unusual feature. At this stage, this domestic rural dish bears the four basic universal symbols: a central dot, a large circle, a cross [X} by joining the four protuberances, and a square.
But the shape of squaring the circle is challenging as if it were a symbolic way to assemble the sky (the circle) with the earth (the square). The Chawi Berbers have had a long tradition of being isolated due to topology (the mountains) and geography (a cold temperate side in the north versus a warmer Saharan exposition in the south). The locals live on basic agriculture and breed mostly goats and sheep. This pottery belongs to the southern Saharan side of the mountains. It is the usual location for the fortified granaries, where grains and olive oil were kept safe in a communal tradition. In other words, the Chawi Berber have always relied on the weather conditions for their own subsistence. As basic as this may sound, it is of utmost importance to associate the spirit of the people with the outside natural elements as knowledge of their past largely shows it.
By considering these factors, interpreting the pottery design makes sense. It is a way to acknowledge the sky for providing the food the dish will contain. The Sun provides its force to have the grain grow (the dots). The nine rays symbolize a full bloom cycle; if there are five of them, it is to include the protection of the Muslim religion. Pagan and religious spiritualities are always mitigating in this region.
The analysis gives way to a wider anthropological consideration of Berber pottery-making by connecting the present tradition to the past. Clearly, mythical beliefs persist in the use of traditional geometric designs. The Sun used to be a ‘Libyan’ deity but within an agricultural and pastoral society, its importance has naturally subsisted. North African Berber societies remain largely impacted by feelings of protection, gratitude, and offerings to the natural elements. As we know pottery dates back to the Neolithic. It started 10,000 years ago with the Caspian civilization. The archaeological site of Tiddis (3,000 years ago), near Constantine, in the north of the Aurès, has provided fine examples of designs, which are still used today in the Kabylie region to the North.
As we have already analyzed the symbolic designs of the Chawi Berbers, we continue exploring the value of the signs in the earthenware pottery. It remains a solid link to the Berber culture as well as the Mediterranean heritage. Consequently, after considering the Sejnane terracotta art of Tunisia, it seems appropriate to have a closer look at the Chawi terracotta pottery of Algeria.
C.S.
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