How to Make an Unfired Clay Cooking Pot: Understanding the Technological Choices Made by Arctic Potters

Abstract

Between about 500 A.D. and the late nineteenth century, clay cooking pots associated with the Thule culture were produced in the Arctic region. Ethnographic and archaeological records indicate that these vessels were typically underfired (often even unfired), highly porous, and easily broken. Despite these characteristics, the evidence indicates that they were used to heat water over open fires. In this paper, we examine how Arctic potters were able to produce unsintered vessels capable of holding liquids without disintegrating. We conclude that the application of seal oil and seal blood to the pot's surface was the key to their success.Clay cooking pots were produced and used in the Arctic from about 2,500 years ago until the middle or late nineteenth century (Fig. 1). Although the earliest vessels tended to be thin-walled and relatively well-fired, by 1,000 A.D. these containers were replaced by ones having thicker walls and coarse-textured, soft pastes. Ceramics recovered from the later periods have a marked tendency to crumble and exfoliate, and many were either underfired or not fired at all. The technology of these later vessels differs in nearly every significant way from that exhibited by the typical clay cooking pot found in other areas of the world. In fact, these Arctic cooking pots break nearly every engineering rule about how a ceramic cooking pot should be constructed (see Frink and Harry 2008) and-at least for the unfired or

Determining Initial Firing Temperatures of Thule Era (1000-250 ya) Pottery from Two Northwest Alaskan Archaeological Sites

“…Ethnoarchaeological research is addressing social functions of arctic ceramics (Frink 2009). Experimental research has been used to understand the manufacturing process, effectiveness of methods of cooking with arctic pottery, and technological choices made in response to the environmental factors (Harry and Frink 2009, Harry et al 2009a, Harry et al 2009b, Harry 2010.…”

The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting

“…In Mesoamerica pottery shows up in pre-agricultural contexts somewhat later than in South America, with dates falling between about 3,500 and 4,000 years ago (e.g., Clark and Gosser 1995). Moving to North America, pottery becomes an integral part of Eskimo (Inuit) technology by at least 2,500 years ago (Harry et al 2009; see also Oswalt 1955;McCartney 1970;Stimmell and Stromberg 1986), and even earlier in coastal southeastern North America, where it appears during the Late Archaic sometime prior to 4,000 years ago (Sassaman 1993;Thompson et al 2008).…”

Residential Mobility and Ceramic Exchange: Ethnography and Archaeological Implications

“…When ceramic vessels were widely accepted and produced in a region, many mobile groups who used them could choose whether to make all of their own pots or obtain some or all vessels from other groups. Given that huntergatherers and agriculturalists prioritize vessel performance characteristics differently (Frink and Harry 2008;Harry et al 2009;Schiffer and Skibo 1987;Skibo et al 1989), we might wonder how well vessels from sedentary villages would fit the techno-functional needs of mobile groups. Are they inferior for some tasks performed by mobile groups?…”

“…or those who work in regions occupied primarily or exclusively by foragers (e.g., Barnard 2008;Eerkens 2001Eerkens , 2003Eerkens , 2004Eerkens et al 2002;Frink and Harry 2008;Harry et al 2009;Mack 1990;Simms et al 1997). Both groups of researchers emphasize ceramic manufacture by foragers or incipient horticulturalists.…”

“…This provided ten cases (Chaamba, Teda, Ingalik, Yavapai, Kutenai, Chiricahua Apache, Western Apache, Navajo, Seri, and Siriono). To flesh out the discussion of ceramic manufacture and use by mobile groups, I then added additional groups mentioned in studies of hunter-gatherer pottery (Bollong et al 1997;Frink and Harry 2008;Harry et al 2009;Reid 1989Reid , 1990Sampson 1988) and residentially mobile, ceramic-using groups studied recently by ethnoarchaeologists (Graham 1994;Saidel 2008). This provided several additional cases (North Alaskan Eskimo, Koyukon, Sarcee, Northern Ute, Rarámuri or Tarahumara, Bedouin, and Bushmen).…”