ABSTRACT
Chapter One of Designs on Pots considers how my personal story intersects with the story about the archaeological site of Ban Chiang, northeast Thailand, as I encountered painted pottery from Ban Chiang (1969–74) and later examined texts about Ban Chiang (2018–20). It discusses how I traced the looted pottery in public and private collections and photographed several hundred vessels discussed in the book. It reminds the reader how personal and chance experiences shape research agendas. The introductory chapter also includes a discussion of advocacy and ethics in anthropology, methods, and theoretical arguments.
