Some Unexploited Possibilities in Ceramic Analysis

Baumhoff, M. A.; Heizer, Robert F.

doi:10.1086/soutjanth.15.3.3628980

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The most basic and less reliable method is ‘number of sherds’, which merely consists of counting sherds without any analysis whatsoever. Other widely used methods are ‘maximum number of individuals’, which corresponds to the number of different sherds remaining after attempting to match and join them and, especially, the ‘minimum number of individuals’ (MNI), which is an estimation of the minimum number of complete vessels represented by the sherds that have been recovered (Baumhoff and Heizer , 308; Orton et al . , 172; Arcelin and Tuffreau‐Libre ; Voss and Allen ; Feely and Ratto ).…”

Section: Archaeological Methods Of Pottery Quantification: Sherds Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The percentage of preserved rim is easy and fast to calculate in pottery such as amphorae with the assistance of a template. Nevertheless, the EVE has also been calculated by measuring the weight (Baumhoff and Heizer , 309; Raux , 12) or the surface of the vessel (Hulthén ; Byrd and Owens ). After carrying out several simulations, Orton et al (, 172) cautiously suggest that the vessels equivalent method is the one that provides the best results.…”

Section: Archaeological Methods Of Pottery Quantification: Sherds Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Archaeological Quantification of Pottery: The Rims Count Adjusted using the Modulus of Rupture (MR)

Corredor

Vidal

2015

Archaeometry

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Archaeological quantification is a recurrent issue in research about pottery, its typologies and its distribution. We accept the validity of other methods of quantification-sherd count, minimum number of individuals (MNI) or sherd weight-but the methodology that we have proposed for quantification of assemblages of archaeological contexts is the rims count, which has to be transformed into coefficients of reference through a correction using the modulus of rupture (MR). Such correctors are obtained through measuring the percentage of preserved rim of a significant number of sherds of each type and establishing the average of that percentage. This quantification method is easily applicable to all pottery types and it is also statistically reliable. Besides, it can be used in any study in which the gross number of rims is published. Finally, in the case of ceramic transport containers, a second correction can be applied by multiplying the corrected coefficient (number of rims × MR) by its average capacity (AC), another corrector that will allow us to gather statistics according to the litres of transported product. We believe that the rims count (the easiest part to classify) is a fast, relatively easy and very reliable method that needs to be corrected using the MR.

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Section: Archaeological Methods Of Pottery Quantification: Sherds Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Archaeological Methods Of Pottery Quantification: Sherds Weimentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Quantification of Pottery: The Rims Count Adjusted using the Modulus of Rupture (MR)

Corredor

Vidal

2015

Archaeometry

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“…Assuming that the Tikaleños reasonably adhered to least-cost principles when discarding refuse (see Beck and Hill 2004:308, 315-316), there should be little to no mixing of pottery between households. Table 20 compares the vessel class frequencies from the largescale University of Pennsylvania project at Tikal, 1955-1959, published by Fry (2003a2003b: 86, Table 1) with frequencies calculated from peripheral Tikal middens by Straight (2012) and the household frequencies adapted from Aguateca (Inomata and Triadan 2010). The data from the Penn State Tikal Project (PSTP) were calculated from test pit data collected from middens at peripheral Tikal households in 2005-2006(see Straight 2012 and serve as an independent check (and confirmation) on the previously published Tikal data.…”

Section: Relative Use-lives Of Archaeologically Recovered Vessel Classesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Houseful of Pots: Applying Ethnoarchaeological Data to Estimate Annual Ceramic Vessel Consumption Rates of Classic Maya Households

Straight

2017

Ancient Mesoam

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This article reviews data from the modern highland Maya area in order to develop a model of vessel discard frequencies applicable to Classic Maya contexts. Estimating the number of pots consumed by ancient households is crucial to reconstructing the organization of ceramic production and exchange in antiquity. The recent publication of in situ household assemblages from the Classic Maya center of Aguateca facilitates an analysis of household pottery use during the Late Classic period. Vessel class use-lives derived from ethnoarchaeological studies are applied to the Aguateca assemblages to estimate annual consumption rates. The simulated Aguateca discard assemblages are then compared to archaeologically recovered vessel class discard frequencies from the Classic Maya center of Tikal. The article concludes with a discussion of how and why pottery requirements for Classic Maya households differed from those of twentieth century Maya and the implications these distinctions have for interpreting consumption pattern for the Classic Maya.

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“…Inspired by Krieger's (Newell and Krieger, 1949) painstaking refitting project, Baumhoff and Heizer (1959) conducted one of the earliest studies that examined the accumulation of pottery. Baumhoff and Heizer (1959, p. 308) recognized that pottery analysis here becomes more than a mere chronological device.…”

Section: Pottery Accumulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulations research: Problems and prospects for estimating site occupation span

Varien

Mills

1997

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Accumulations research examines the dynamic relationship among artifact discard, duration of occupation, and population size. The history of accumulations research is reviewed, emphasizing studies that use accumulation rates to measure site occupation span. Ethnoarchaeological and experimental research demonstrates that cooking pots are an ideal artifact type for accumulations research. Data from the Duckfoot site in southwestern Colorado are used to develop an annual accumulation rate of cooking pot sherds for households. This rate is used, along with population estimates and estimates of the total cooking pot sherd accumulation, to determine the occupation span of five sites located in the nearby Dolores River valley.

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Some Unexploited Possibilities in Ceramic Analysis

Cited by 16 publications

References 4 publications

Archaeological Quantification of Pottery: The Rims Count Adjusted using the Modulus of Rupture (MR)

Archaeological Quantification of Pottery: The Rims Count Adjusted using the Modulus of Rupture (MR)

A Houseful of Pots: Applying Ethnoarchaeological Data to Estimate Annual Ceramic Vessel Consumption Rates of Classic Maya Households

Accumulations research: Problems and prospects for estimating site occupation span

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