Christophe Descantes

Characterizing the Stoneware "Dragon Jars" in the Guthe Collection: Chemical, Decorative, and Formal Patterning

This paper presents a multifaceted study of a collection of stoneware ceramic vessels in the Guthe Collection of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan. These vessels, recovered in the Philippines but manufactured in multiple production sites across East and Southeast Asia, provide insights into premodern economic interactions and maritime trade. Our study of this collection drew on multiple approaches to identify coherent groupings of vessels associated with locations and traditions of production. These include instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of pastes; laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of glazes; stylistic analysis of decorative motifs and their execution; and study of morphological attributes. Results of our analyses point to at least four production areas for these ubiquitous trade wares and lay the groundwork for future research on Southeast Asian maritime trade from the twelfth through nineteenth centuries A.D.

Contained Identities: The Demise of Yapese Clay Pots

The loss of ceramic technology is widespread in Oceanic island societies. While this disappearance has taken place at different times, under different conditions, on different Pacific Islands, a model created by examining the technology loss of one soasian ciety may cast light on the contributing factors to the decline of ceramic production of other Oceanic contexts. A model to account for the relatively recent end of ceramic pot production and use on the island of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, during the colonial period is offered. Ceramic manufacture on Yap was at least a 2000-year-old tradition before it ceased in the twentieth century. Relying on a historical approach that considers the social dynamics of pots and a combination of archaeological, ethnographic, and ethnohistoric records, the Yapese gradually replaced their ceramic vessel technology with metal pots because of new conditions encountered during contact and colonialism. Factors involved in the ease of replacement of ceramic pots include limited access to the specialized labor required to produce ceramic containers, the superior durability offered by the replacement technology, and the fact that ceramic pots were valued more for their function.

Neutron Activation Analysis of Ceramics from Five Archaeological Sites in Antigua, West Indies

ABSTRACT Ceramics of multiple styles from five archaeological sites on Antigua were analyzed at the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center to obtain a better understanding of ceramic compositional variability within Antigua. Bulk chemical characterizations of pottery were determined by neutron activation analysis. Findings suggest that all of the ceramics in our sample were made from locally available, naturally tempered clays, and that there is compositional continuity through time despite the different stylistic and locational attributes of the sherds.

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Pottery from the George C. Davis (41Ce19) Site, Texas

The George C. Davis Site (41CE19) in central East Texas holds a prominent position in American archaeology. Fifty prehistoric ceramic specimens from early Caddoan contexts (A.D. 800–1200) were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at the Missouri University of Missouri Research Reactor Center (MURR). The chemical compositions of the Davis ceramics were compared with previously identified Caddoan ceramic compositional groups. Early Caddoan ceramics from the Davis site likely originate from local alluvial clays in the Neches River Basin. Investigating issues of ceramic production, we conclude that clays from multiple sources and/or different ceramic recipes were used to make various Caddoan pottery types.