This presentation introduces ongoing research on Early Neolithic pottery production in the Paris Basin (Aisne Valley, Picardy). It aims to reconstruct sequences of technical gestures using the concept of chaîne opératoire, from raw material procurement and preparation to forming, finishing, and decoration. The research draws on a multi-scalar analysis of ceramics from ten LBK settlements located along the Aisne river, combining petrography with micro- and macroscopic observations of surfaces and cross-sections, including SEM and micro-tomography.

Preliminary results reveal the coexistence of several distinct technical traditions, pointing to the involvement of multiple groups of producers and suggesting that most pottery production took place at a domestic scale. When considered within their spatial and temporal contexts, these patterns make it possible to identify structured learning networks, whose organisation and development can be traced throughout the LBK sequence and into the post-LBK transition in the Aisne Valley.

By examining the distribution and transformation of these traditions across settlements and housing units, this research highlights the trajectories of different communities of practice. These trajectories extend well beyond the regional scale, underscoring the need to frame early Neolithic pottery production practices within a broader European perspective.