Pottery is a complex archaeological material that is found ubiquitously in various spatial—temporal frameworks from all over the world; therefore, it is of great importance to archaeological research. The current paper aims to present and discuss the results obtained on a batch of Neolithic (ca. 6000–5000 BC) and Chalcolithic (ca. 5000–3900 BC) pottery sherds from Southern Romania through X-ray Computed Tomography, a non-destructive methodology that allows for the 3D reconstruction and precise measurement of inclusions and voids present within ceramic artefacts. Images from several potsherds were subsequently exported and analyzed by means of dedicated software (ImageJ 1.54p and GIMP) to extract quantitative information on the observed features. Grain size and morphometric analyses were performed on the particles, while the contour variability of the examined inclusions was characterized through the application of shape descriptors. Voids were analyzed in order to reveal specific orientation patterns through the examination of the aspect ratio of the holes and of the Rayleigh z test values. These analyses evidenced the general reliance of moderately and poorly sorted clays for ceramic production, accompanied by a gradual transition from organic to grog tempering, while conservative traditions remained prevalent in primary pottery-forming processes.

In 2021, in a Romanian-Belgian-German collaboration, previously initiated excavations were continued at the multi-period flat-site of Sultana-Gheţărie, where settlement remains and burial features from the Boian-Vidra, Gumelnița and Cernavodă III periods have been documented. In the broader context of the multi-component site of Sultana, these investigations provide evidence for decentral structured settlement and burial activities from the period before, during, and after the occupation of Tell Sultana-Malu Roșu situated on the high terrace of the Mostiștea River. In addition to a so far undated prehistoric inhumation burial, a stratigraphic sequence of a Boian-Vidra (first half of the 5th millenium) and a Cernavodă III (ca. 3600–3500 BCE) pit were excavated, which allow a diachronic comparison of pottery-typological, archaeozoological, and archaeobotanical data. Compared to find assemblages of the first half of the 5th millenium (Boian-Vidra), the material culture from the Cernavodă III context is characterised by reduced decoration rates and a reduced range of decoration techniques in pottery possibly indicating a decline in social complexity. The chipped stone inventory of the same pit provides evidence for primary flint tool production on site. The composition of the archeozoological assemblage from the Cernavodă III feature, compared to the final Tell Sultana-Malu Roșu phase (ca. 4200–3950 BCE), indicates that hunting played only a very minor role in securing subsistence and that the communities living here might have had a rather mobile settlement behaviour. With regard to a possible climatic shift, this would match with the frequent occurrence of the tiny awn fragments of feathergrass, which seems to indicate a greater openness of the landscape and associated the spread of steppe vegetation. In connection with the excavations, a magnetic survey was conducted that revealed no evidence of a continuation of the settlement in the part of the high terrace south of the site.

This study explores the emergence and dispersal of grog-tempered pottery in south-eastern Europe, particularly southern Romania. During the second half of the sixth millennium bc, a dynamic zone emerged between the Danube and the Carpathians, facilitating the spread of innovations through multiple communication routes. Among these innovations, grog-tempered pottery began to appear around 5300/5000 bc and became prevalent during the fifth millennium. Despite being frequent, its origins, dispersal, and intensity remain poorly understood. This article aims to trace and explain the emergence and distribution of grog-tempered pottery in southern Romania. By integrating data from existing literature with new results from macroscopic and archaeometric analyses of twelve pottery assemblages from Middle Neolithic, Early, and Middle Chalcolithic sites, the author seeks to provide insights into the significance of the first grog-tempered pottery in a south-eastern European context.