HISTORICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF POTTERY-RELATED RITUALS IN THE FERGANA VALLEY

Abstract

This article examines the historical and ethnographic characteristics of rituals associated with pottery traditions in the Fergana Valley. Pottery has long occupied a significant place in the economic, cultural, and spiritual life of local communities. Alongside technological processes of ceramic production, various rituals, customs, beliefs, and symbolic practices developed around the profession of pottery. The study analyzes the origins, functions, and transformation of pottery-related rituals, including master–apprentice traditions, clay preparation ceremonies, kiln-firing customs, protective beliefs, and ritual practices connected with the production of ceramic vessels. The research is based on historical-ethnographic analysis, comparative methodology, and cultural interpretation of available written and oral sources. Special attention is paid to the relationship between pottery traditions and broader systems of folk beliefs, agricultural culture, social organization, and collective memory. The article argues that pottery rituals represent an important component of intangible cultural heritage and continue to preserve elements of traditional worldview despite modernization and globalization processes.