Basal motifs and Indo-European ritual

The placement of decoration on the outer underside of ceramic vessels requires the assumption that there was some special meaning of both the motifs and the placement-particularly given the small number of examples decorated in this manner when compared with the large number of ceramic vessels found. The vessels with these basal motifs are found in areas that can be assumed to have been occupied by Indo-European speakers. This paper will explore the function and meaning of these motifs in an Indo-European context. Clearly, these basal motifs were meant to be seen, but their visibility would only have been apparent if the vessel were lifted high, turned over as in the act of pouring, or drained of their contents in the act of drinking. Because oblation and libation are important parts of a number of Indo-European rituals, I will examine these motifs in connection with some rituals, as we know them from texts and iconography.