Source Analysis of Central Plains Tradition Pottery Using Neutron Activation Analysis: Feasibility and First Results

Plural communities on the plains

“…I have chosen to combine petrographic and INAA in my research because they have proven to be complementary techniques that produce mineral counts, abundances indices, and elemental concentrations, which can be analyzed using rigorous statistical tests (Fowles et al 2007;Galaty 2008;. These two techniques have been combined in previous research both on the Plains and in the Southwest for better understanding paste composition, in determining the provenance of archaeological ceramics, and to answer questions concerning migration, aggregation, trade, and the exchange of technological knowledge (Bernardini 2007;Cobry 1999;Fowles et al 2007;Neff et al 1997;Neff and Glowacki 2002;Roper et al 2007;Zedeno 1994). I recognize, however, that both INAA and petrography have been of limited use to researchers interested in sourcing sherds within the Central and High Plains.…”

“…Although characterization analyses has been used to successfully track the movement of pots and materials from the Central to the High Plains (Cobry and Roper 2002), the similarity of source clays within each region make tracking the movement of pots within a locality difficult and often leads to inconclusive results (Cobry 1999;Page 2009). Thus far, sherds have not been successfully matched to samples of locally available raw materials using INAA partially due to the geologic homogeneity and because most of the pottery in this region is tempered with high silica sands which can dilute many elements despite attempts at transforming elemental data (Cobry 1999;Roper et al 2007). No matter the accuracy, precision, or sensitivity, no characterization technique can specify how pots and/or clays moved across space and studies that combine two or more characterization techniques have a better shot at a more holistic understanding of the compositional data and variability within and between regions (Bishop et al 1982;Roper et al 2007;Stark et al 2000).…”

“…Thus far, sherds have not been successfully matched to samples of locally available raw materials using INAA partially due to the geologic homogeneity and because most of the pottery in this region is tempered with high silica sands which can dilute many elements despite attempts at transforming elemental data (Cobry 1999;Roper et al 2007). No matter the accuracy, precision, or sensitivity, no characterization technique can specify how pots and/or clays moved across space and studies that combine two or more characterization techniques have a better shot at a more holistic understanding of the compositional data and variability within and between regions (Bishop et al 1982;Roper et al 2007;Stark et al 2000). The assumptions and limitations to both of these techniques, and compositional studies in general are best interpreted within a larger framework where technological, stylistic, and functional data are also considered (Plog 1995).…”

“…Most of the Dismal River pottery was tempered with sand or grit which is common to this region and is generally high in quartz, potassium feldspar and plagioclase feldspar, and biotite and muscovite micas from Quaternary age sands (Buchanan 1984;Page 2009). Millions of years of stream migrations and run-off from the Rocky Mountains has led to the mineral homogenization of many of the alluvial sediments and it is unlikely that prehistoric potters acquired their temper from outside of the region (Roper et al 2007).…”

“…colleagues (2007, 2010) had slightly better results when combining multiple methods of ceramic characterization and were able to conclusively state that some sherds, traditionally classified as trade wares, were actually locally made. Multiple researchers investigating pottery sourcing in this region (Boyd et al 2002;Cobry 1999;Page 2009;Roper et al 2007Roper et al , 2010 have lamented the lack of research on clay procurement on the High Plains and the general homogeneity of the region. Additionally, there is little ethnographic information available to inform archaeologists where Native Americans in this region preferred to acquire their raw materials (Boyd et al 2002;Roper et al 2010).…”