Social organization in small scale societies, such as EarlymCeramic Period groups in Central Chil... more Social organization in small scale societies, such as EarlymCeramic Period groups in Central Chile, can be understood from a bottom up perspective, exploring information in their smallest social units. In these societies ceramic data are good approximations to technological traditions reproduced in pottery communities. In this paper we explore whether ceramic traditions were shared beyond the residential compounds and defined cultural groups (Bato and Llolleo). We analyzed rim and paste attributes in cooking vessels looking for technical gestures, paste recipes and raw material provenience. The results show patterns at the local community level for raw material procurement, patterns according to cultural groups for paste recipes and some technical gestures shared at the co-residential level.
The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites i... more The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites in the Northeast. Numerous Hopewellian cultural traits (copper artifacts, cremated burials, exotic cherts, and mica) have been identified at the site. Numerous potential geological sources for the mica artifacts exist in the Mid-Atlantic region. We explore two analytical methods to evaluate the most-likely geological sources of the mica artifacts. Source and artifact specimens were analyzed using pXRF as well as neutron activation. Our pXRF data are suggestive, but show high analytical uncertainty. We make several recommendations relevant to future attempts that would use this kind of instrument to study sheet mica. Our neutron activation results are promising, and suggest that geochemical sourcing of mica has much potential. Results of both assays suggest that most of the artifact specimens recovered from the Abbott Farm share a similar chemistry, and this composition is very similar to mica from southeastern Pennsylvania. A cut-and-drilled pendant exhibits a chemical makeup distinctly different from all other artifacts and source specimens evaluated here. Although our results are preliminary, the application of modern analytical methods to extant archaeological collections has the potential to provide significant new information.
En sociedades de baja escala, como los grupos del período Alfarero Temprano de Chile Central, el ... more En sociedades de baja escala, como los grupos del período Alfarero Temprano de Chile Central, el registro cerámico es un buen referente de las tradiciones reproducidas al interior de comunidades de alfareras(os) y de la circulación de sus saberes. Este trabajo evalúa a qué escala espacial se compartían esos saberes y su relación con los componentes culturales Bato y Llolleo, para entender las unidades sociales mínimas y su articulación en niveles sociales mayores. Basados en el análisis de rasgos tecnológicos eviden- ciados en fragmentos de vasijas de cocina, como morfología de bordes, gestos técnicos de manufactura, composición de pastas y procedencia de materias primas, se observan patrones diferenciados a nivel del grupo cultural, de las comunidades locales y de los conjuntos residenciales.
We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the... more We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the Solomon Islands, associated with Alvaro de Mendaña y Neira’s 16th century colonizing expedition to the region (c.1595–6). Based on the chemical data and previously published petrological and geochronological research, this study assigns the provenance of the ceramics variously to Peru, Panama, Spain, China and Thailand. A comparison of the provenance results with historical records related to Mendaña’s voyage also shows the value of the archaeological assemblage in providing a detailed picture of provisioned ceramic types and their provenance.
Social organization in small scale societies, such as EarlymCeramic Period groups in Central Chil... more Social organization in small scale societies, such as EarlymCeramic Period groups in Central Chile, can be understood from a bottom up perspective, exploring information in their smallest social units. In these societies ceramic data are good approximations to technological traditions reproduced in pottery communities. In this paper we explore whether ceramic traditions were shared beyond the residential compounds and defined cultural groups (Bato and Llolleo). We analyzed rim and paste attributes in cooking vessels looking for technical gestures, paste recipes and raw material provenience. The results show patterns at the local community level for raw material procurement, patterns according to cultural groups for paste recipes and some technical gestures shared at the co-residential level.
The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites i... more The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark is one of the more significant Woodland period sites in the Northeast. Numerous Hopewellian cultural traits (copper artifacts, cremated burials, exotic cherts, and mica) have been identified at the site. Numerous potential geological sources for the mica artifacts exist in the Mid-Atlantic region. We explore two analytical methods to evaluate the most-likely geological sources of the mica artifacts. Source and artifact specimens were analyzed using pXRF as well as neutron activation. Our pXRF data are suggestive, but show high analytical uncertainty. We make several recommendations relevant to future attempts that would use this kind of instrument to study sheet mica. Our neutron activation results are promising, and suggest that geochemical sourcing of mica has much potential. Results of both assays suggest that most of the artifact specimens recovered from the Abbott Farm share a similar chemistry, and this composition is very similar to mica from southeastern Pennsylvania. A cut-and-drilled pendant exhibits a chemical makeup distinctly different from all other artifacts and source specimens evaluated here. Although our results are preliminary, the application of modern analytical methods to extant archaeological collections has the potential to provide significant new information.
En sociedades de baja escala, como los grupos del período Alfarero Temprano de Chile Central, el ... more En sociedades de baja escala, como los grupos del período Alfarero Temprano de Chile Central, el registro cerámico es un buen referente de las tradiciones reproducidas al interior de comunidades de alfareras(os) y de la circulación de sus saberes. Este trabajo evalúa a qué escala espacial se compartían esos saberes y su relación con los componentes culturales Bato y Llolleo, para entender las unidades sociales mínimas y su articulación en niveles sociales mayores. Basados en el análisis de rasgos tecnológicos eviden- ciados en fragmentos de vasijas de cocina, como morfología de bordes, gestos técnicos de manufactura, composición de pastas y procedencia de materias primas, se observan patrones diferenciados a nivel del grupo cultural, de las comunidades locales y de los conjuntos residenciales.
We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the... more We present the results of instrumental neutron activation analysis of ceramics recovered from the Solomon Islands, associated with Alvaro de Mendaña y Neira’s 16th century colonizing expedition to the region (c.1595–6). Based on the chemical data and previously published petrological and geochronological research, this study assigns the provenance of the ceramics variously to Peru, Panama, Spain, China and Thailand. A comparison of the provenance results with historical records related to Mendaña’s voyage also shows the value of the archaeological assemblage in providing a detailed picture of provisioned ceramic types and their provenance.
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