The methodology for singling out vessels made by one craftsman

The paper is dedicated to new, additional criteria for singling out vessels made by one craftsman. It has been proven experimentally that the vessel body is the most stable element. Regarding its characteristics, the maximum diameter turned out to be the most stable. Using two characteristics of the body, i.e. its proportions and its maximum diameter, the author selected vessels made with the use of the same model shape among all vessels coming from the Volosovo-Danilovo burial ground. Comparison of the vessels made with the use of the same model shape, the same raw material, the same composition of clay paste and proportion of grog in it provided an opportunity to single out vessels made by one craftsman. Therefore, one more criterion for singling out vessels made by the same craftsman is proposed, i.e. a similar model shape used in making vessels. The methodology for identifying left-handed potters developed by the author, on the one hand, confirmed that the methodology of analyzing vessels shape was correct and, on the other hand, made it possible to identify a greater number of various potters whose vessels were placed into the graves as funerary offerings.