Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Anthropology

Supervisor

Ferris, Neal

Abstract

Micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis offers a new perspective on archaeological ceramic manufacture, augmenting traditional studies that focus on decorative and morphological aspects of ceramic vessels. High resolution, three dimensional, micro-CT images reveal different ceramic forming methods by identifying the characteristic gestures and techniques, as well as idiosyncratic corrective measures used by potters to form vessel rims. These techniques or “tools of the trade” reflect potters’ engagement with tradition and innovation while working within a community of practice.

This study adopted two research questions. First, what is the value and potential of micro-CT as a method of ceramic analysis in archaeology? Second, as a case study to illuminate the first question: what insights can be advanced about the craft of pottery manufacture from the ceramic assemblages of the Late Woodland Arkona Cluster archeological sites? To answer these questions I scanned sherds representing 67 vessels from the Arkona Cluster sites (located near Arkona, Ontario). These vessels come from a series of contemporaneous and/or sequentially occupied sites dating to between ca. 1000-1270 CE. They existed within a material borderland, generally located in space and time between what conventionally has been defined and labelled in archaeological culture history as the Western Basin and Ontario Iroquoian Late Woodland material culture traditions.

Though accompanied by a steep learning curve, micro-CT analysis proved an effective method for accessing hidden steps in the ceramic production sequence used by potters at the Arkona Cluster. The ability to highlight, in three dimensions (3D), inclusions and void spaces in the ceramic fabric, allow scanned images to reveal aspects of ceramic preparation and manufacturing practices that could not be accessed using conventional analysis methods. The capacity to see these practices, and how they related to ceramic design, revealed that potters at the Arkona Cluster were engaging with and incorporating elements from multiple ceramic traditions, reflecting a distinct regional material expression. Through micro-CT analysis, the ceramics at the Arkona Cluster suggest idiosyncratic expressions of an artisan community sustaining tradition and innovation, which characterizes an archaeological material borderland at this specific time and place.

Summary for Lay Audience

Micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis allows archaeologists to view the interior structures of pots, offering a new perspective on archaeological ceramic manufacture. High resolution, three dimensional, micro-CT images reveal different ceramic forming methods by identifying the characteristic gestures and techniques used by potters to form different parts of a vessel. These techniques or “tools of the trade” reflect potters’ engagement with tradition and innovation while working within their community.

This study adopted two research questions. First, what is the value and potential of micro-CT as a method of ceramic analysis in archaeology? Second, as a case study to illuminate the first question: what can we learn about the craft of pottery manufacture from the ceramic assemblages of the Late Woodland Arkona Cluster archeological sites? To answer these questions I scanned sherds representing 67 vessels from the Arkona Cluster sites (located near Arkona, Ontario), dating to between ca. 1000-1270 CE. The materials, including ceramics, from these archaeological sites show influences from what have conventionally been defined in archaeological culture history as the Western Basin and Ontario Late Woodland material culture traditions.

Though accompanied by a steep learning curve, micro-CT analysis proved an effective method for accessing hidden steps in ceramic production used by potters at the Arkona Cluster. The ability to highlight, in three dimensions (3D), inclusions and void spaces in the clay used to make pots allows scanned images to reveal aspects of ceramic preparation and manufacturing practices that could not be accessed using conventional methods. The results revealed that potters at the Arkona Cluster were engaging with and incorporating elements from multiple ceramic traditions into their work. Through micro-CT analysis, the ceramics at the Arkona Cluster reveal expressions of an artisan community sustaining tradition and innovation, within the context of a specific time and place.

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