Abstract. − The results of a recent ethno-archaeological fieldwork on pottery making in Katanga (DRC) are presented in this title. This work is part of a project where the spatial and temporal distributions of practices are used as a methodological interface between archaeology and linguistics and is an essential step in the comparison of past and present pottery traditions in the area. Observations concerning the whole manufacturing process are reported with a specific focus on the initial phase of the building process: roughing-out or primary shaping. New data are discussed in the light of previous enquiries and the existence of technical boundaries in Katanga is suggested. [Ethno-archaeology, pottery technology, identity, roughing-out, shaping, Luba, Sanga, Bemba]