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Compositional analysis of Iroquoian pottery: determining functional relationships between contiguous sites

Devlin, Hannah (2016) Compositional analysis of Iroquoian pottery: determining functional relationships between contiguous sites. Undergraduate Thesis, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Studying site diversity is a growing research interest in Iroquoian archaeology. In this study, analyses of undecorated pottery sherds from two Cayuga Iroquois sites, Parker Farm and Carman, were carried out in the context of determining differences in site functionality. First, analyses relied on datasets of soil volume and pottery counts and categorizations. Pots were classified by interior color which served as a proxy for vessel use. Reduced (blackened) interiors are associated with cooking and oxidized (light) interiors correlate with dry storage. This information yielded differences both in overall concentrations of pottery and in concentrations of interior color. A second analysis used x-ray fluorescence to determine chemical composition of the sherds. Overall, analyses revealed similar levels of elements, but slightly different patterns for some elements. Parker Farm showed consistent elemental levels, but Carman showed more irregular levels, particularly for manganese. These results suggest a different use of space at the sites and a possible difference in site function, providing a contributing to our understanding of the nature of site diversity in this particular area.

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Details

Item Type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Devlin, Hannah hfd1@pitt.eduHFD10000-0002-0243-7586
ETD Committee:
TitleMemberEmail AddressPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairAllen, Kathleen kmallen@pitt.edu
Committee MemberArkush, Elizabetharkush@pitt.edu
Committee MemberBarton, Loukas loukas@pitt.eduLOUKAS
Committee MemberEngelbrecht, Williamengelbwe@gmail.com
Date: 26 April 2016
Date Type: Publication
Defense Date: 4 April 2016
Approval Date: 26 April 2016
Submission Date: 21 April 2016
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Number of Pages: 51
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: David C. Frederick Honors College
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Anthropology
Degree: BPhil - Bachelor of Philosophy
Thesis Type: Undergraduate Thesis
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: Iroquoian pottery; Portable X-ray Fluorescence; New York; Pottery Production Site; Seasonality;
Date Deposited: 26 Apr 2016 17:13
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2016 14:33
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27793

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