This article addresses the issue of decorative patterns in Lower Amur Neolithic ceramics. Based on structural and functional analysis, features shared by the Malyshevo, Kondon, and Voznesenskoye ceramic traditions are revealed. Characteristic features of Malyshevo and Voznesenskoye pottery include comb and “gearwheel” imprints, various parts of the vessel being painted, rims decorated with straight and wavy rolls, designs based on meanders, spirals, “masks,” and concentric composition. In Malyshevo and Kondon ceramics, the designs are mostly applied with a comb, the most common motif being the “Amur herringbone.” The Kondon and Voznesenskoye ceramics share features of comb imprints and cannelures. The Malyshevo and Voznesenskoye complexes appear to represent a common tradition, while the Kondon ceramics belong to a separate tradition. The presence of invariant decorative motifs associated with water in all three cultures evidences common evolutionary tendencies and may point to the existence of a horizontal “riverine” model of the world among the carriers of these traditions.
