preceramic

Preceramic is a term used primarily in archaeology to describe contexts or periods in which pottery has not yet been produced or used. The designation is regional and relative; a layer or phase is described as preceramic if the material remains do not include ceramic vessels, and pottery appears later in the local chronology. Preceramic assemblages are typically distinguished by lithic tools, bone and shell artifacts, and other non-ceramic materials such as textiles or plant fibers. Substantial subsistence evidence often shows hunter-gatherer foraging, with later transitions toward plant cultivation or pastoral practices occurring after ceramics appear.

In practice, the preceramic phase is defined by the absence of ceramic technology rather than by a fixed date. The timeframe varies widely from region to region and is best understood within regional archaeological sequences. In the Andean coastal zone of South America, for example, several early cultures are described as preceramic because they predates the earliest known pottery in their area, yet exhibit sophisticated sedentary settlement, monumental architecture, or complex exchange networks.

In addition to archaeology, the term preceramic is also used in materials science to refer to polymeric or other precursors that are converted into ceramic materials during processing. Preceramic polymers are employed to produce ceramics through pyrolysis, enabling the creation of advanced ceramic coatings and composites.

Overall, preceramic denotes a pre-pottery phase in regional chronologies and, in a separate domain, a preparatory stage in ceramic fabrication.