Manufacturing processes of Neolithic and modern pottery traditions in Sudan with case studies from the Nuba Mountains: A comparative study

• The title and introduction have been rewritten to present the research problem and objectives more clearly. • The structure has been reorganised for clarity and now follows seven sections: Introduction, Methodology, Environmental Changes, Technological Studies, Ethnoarchaeological Studies, Discussion, and Conclusion. • The methodology now explicitly outlines the use of the chaîne opératoire framework, the archaeological corpus considered, and the integration of ethnographic data from Dilling. • The section on technological studies of late prehistory has been expanded to bring together all relevant research that mentions technological approaches, reorganising them within the chaîne opératoire framework. • Ethno-archaeological section has been enriched with additional details on production stages, including forming and preforming, and now presents Dilling as a clear case study of a living handmade pottery tradition. • Comparative synthesis between archaeological and ethnographic data has been clarified and strengthened, with new supporting information from both domains. • The bibliography has been updated with additional key references, including recent works, and all citations have been standardised in Chicago style. • The language throughout the manuscript has been carefully revised for clarity, precision, and consistency. Ethnographic and experimental studies have provided valuable insights into early methods of pottery production. Building on this foundation, the present article explores pottery manufacture in late prehistoric in Sudan through the lens of the chaîne opératoire framework, linking archaeological evidence with modern traditional pottery practices in the Nuba Mountains. The study re-examines Mesolithic and Neolithic assemblages from Sudan, comparing them with ethnographic data collected in 2020 from workshops in Dilling (Nuba Mountains). This comparative approach sheds light on forming, preforming techniques, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of technological processes and their cultural significance in late prehistory context. The results highlight several continuities between prehistoric and modern practices. Clay collection, forming (Shaping) techniques, and open-pit firing in the Nuba Mountains mirror techniques that may have been employed in late prehistory. In vessel forming, drawing out a lump of clay and coiling by pinching were dominant methods in Mesolithic and Neolithic contexts, with supplementary preforming techniques such as paddle-and-anvil likely applied. Ethnographic parallels underscore the persistence of these handmade traditions while also revealing contexts of innovation and adaptation.