Understanding pottery function

Abstract

The 1992 publication of Pottery Function applied ethnoarchaeological data collected among the Kalinga and experiments to set forth the principles for the creation of pottery use-alteration traces (residue, carbonization, and abrasion). Analogous to lithic use-wear analysis, this study developed the method and theory making the connections between pottery use traces and function. At the 20th anniversary of the book, it is time to assess what has been done and learned. One of the concerns of those working in pottery analysis is that they are unsure how to "do" use-alteration analysis on their collection. Another common concern is understanding intended pottery function--the connections between technical choices and function. This book is designed to answer these questions using case studies from the author and many others who are applying use-alteration analysis to infer actual pottery function. The focus of Understanding Pottery Function is on how practicing archaeologists can infer function from their ceramic collection."--Publisher's website.Understanding Pottery Function. The Joys of Pottery ; Actual Versus Intended Pottery Function ; An Approach to Pottery Function ; Performance-Based Life History Approach ; Life-History/Behavioral Chain ; Activities and Interactions ; Technical Choices and Compromises ; Performances Characteristics ; The Approach to the Writing in This Book ; A Story of Pottery and People: Origins of Pottery Making on Grand Island ; Review of the Book's Contents ; References. -- Intended Function: Inferring Manufacturing Performance ; Understanding Technical Choices and Performance ; Morphology ; Paste Composition: Temper (Type, Size, Shape, Quantity) and Clay (Type, Chemistry) ; Firing Temperature ; Surface Treatments ; Inferring Intended Function: Primary and Secondary Performance Characteristics, and Derivative Choices ; Is It Just About Techno-function? ; From Sherds to Intended Function ; Reference. -- Sooting and Carbonization. Kalinga Vessels and Internal and External Carbonization ; The Kalinga ; The Kalinga Ethnoarchaeological Project ; Kalinga Internal and External Carbonization Patterns ; Principles for External Sooting ; What Is Soot ; Soot Patches ; Temperature of Fire ; Distance from Fire ; Mode of Cooking ; Case Study: Late Archaic Pottery and Exterior Sooting ; Principles for Internal Carbonization ; Mode of Cooking: Wet/Dry ; Other Factors ; Case Study: Origins of Pottery on the Colorado Plateau ; Recording External and Internal Carbonization on Prehistoric Collections ; Start with Whole Vessels ; Recording Use Carbonization and Sooting Patterns on Whole Vessels ; Recording Use-Alteration Traces on Sherds ; Trickery ; Inferences ; References. -- Attrition. Principles of Ceramic Attrition ; Use-Attrition: Abrasive Processes ; Use Attrition: Nonabrasive Processes ; Use-Attrition Terms ; Case Study: Kalinga ; Kalinga Pottery Surfaces and Other Relevant Technical Properties ; Use Attrition on Kalinga Pots ; Summary ; Case Study: Griffiths and Bray ; Case Study: Hardin and Mills ; Case Study: Sherds as Tools ; Case Study: Alcohol Fermentation ; Recording Attritional Traces on Prehistoric Pottery ; References. -- Residue ; Co-authored by Mary Malainey Kalinga Study ; British Invasion ; Approaches to Lipid Residue Analysis ; Sample Selection ; Sample Processing Techniques ; Gas Chromatography for the Analysis of Archaeological Lipid Residues ; The Problem of Diagenesis ; Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis ; Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy ; Case Study: Origins of Pottery in the Upper Great Lakes ; Case Study: Late Prehistoric Pottery Function from Western Canada ; Case Study: Finding Evidence of Maize Processing in North America ; Case Study: Origins of Pottery in Southeastern Arizona ; Final Recommendations ; A Concluding Comment ; References.