Online First XII/2/2021 INTERDISCIPLINARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA NATURAL SCIENCES IN ARCHAEOLOGY homepage: http://www.iansa.eu The Potter’s Wheel in the Chilean Central Valley: A Long-Term and Contextual Perspective on Technological Change Jaume García Rosselló 1* 1 Department of Historic Sciences and Art Theory, ArqueoUIB Reserach Group, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra.de Valldemossa, 07122 Palma, Spain 1. Starting point In this article the social and technological dynamics in the transition from hand-made to wheel-thrown pottery in a modern context is considered. Source availability as well as feldwork provides both a long-term perspective and a depiction of its present consequences. Here, it will be specifcally explained, how an indigenous, hand-made, domestic and female pottery-production system has turned into an essentially male, wheel-thrown and workshop activity. As a consequence of a series of signifcant social, cultural and economic events, the Indian village of Pomaire gained a reputation as a potter’s town (Figure 1). The several changes undergone by its population with regard to pottery production makes it an interesting example to study the origin and development of a technological change process which resulted in the displacement of women from pottery-making and the introduction of mechanised production means during the 1980s. Thus, the social and technical transformations which have taken place since colonial times (beginning of the 16 th century), for the potters of Pomaire are explained, enlarged on their history in order to contribute to a general refection. The question of technological change and, particularly, the transition from hand-building to wheel production has been widely studied in archaeology (Arnold, 1989; Arnold III, 1991; Balfet, 1965; Deal, 1983; García Rosselló, 2006; Rice, 1987). Among the reasons posed for this change, “rentability” of the product and techniques may be mentioned. Questions such as the use of the potter’s wheel to increase the volume of products and the consequent increase in income were frequently considered (Anders, 1994; Rice, 1987; González et al., 2001; Balfet, 1965; Arnold, 1985; Renfrew, 1978). On the other hand, it is unlikely to fnd in the literature any criticism of the direct correlation proposed between the use of the potter’s wheel and the male workforce on the one hand, and the development of full-time specialised work on the other (Arnold, 1985; Balfet, 1965; 1981). Volume XII ● Issue 2/2021 ● Online First *Corresponding author. E-mail: jaume.garcia@uib.es ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received: 29 th January 2021 Accepted: 9 th November 2021 Key words: technological change long-term analysis social technology ethnoarchaeology ethnography history Pomaire potters central Chile ABSTRACT In this article the social and technological dynamics detected in the transition from hand-made pottery to wheel-thrown ware in a modern context is considered. The many diferent sources supplemented by feldwork provide a long-term perspective and a depiction of its present consequences. It is specifcally explained, how an indigenous, hand-made, domestic and female pottery-production system has turned into an essentially male, wheel-thrown and workshop activity. After a series of signifcant events, the Indian village of Pomaire gained a reputation as a potter’s village. The several changes underwent by its population as regards to pottery production makes it an interesting example to analyse the origin and development of a process of technological change which ended up with the displacement of women from pottery-making and the introduction of the means for mechanised production during the 1980s. Thus, the social and technical transformations which have taken place since colonial times (beginning of the 16 th century), for the potters of Pomaire are explained, enlarged on their history in order to contribute to a general refection.