jats:pThis paper tests whether the distinctive black burnished pottery from the early Korean state of Baekje (jats:italicc</jats:italic>.250–660 jats:scce</jats:sc>) was, as is commonly assumed, under the control of a centralized authority. We employ an integrated approach, combining typological, petrographic and elemental composition data, to reconstruct the organization of production for this prestige ware. Clear heterogeneity in both clay sources and technical styles indicates a decentralized production pattern. The Baekje polity may thus have emerged as a distributed network rather than a centralized entity, with local communities choosing to engage with the political centre and not be subservient to it.</jats:p>