Thesis
Complementary compositional analyses of ceramics from two great house communities in west-central New Mexico
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2008
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102805
Abstract
Cerro Pomo and Cox Ranch Pueblos, in west-central New Mexico, represent some of the southernmost examples of the Chacoan great house pattern, and are located within the northern reaches of the traditional Mogollon culture area. These great houses and the smaller sites around them exhibit a blend of characteristically Puebloan and Mogollon traits, evident in architectural patterns and in the use of both grey and brown ceramic utility wares. Grey corrugated wares are traditionally associated with Ancestral Pueblo peoples, and brown wares with the Mogollon. The coexistence of these suites of material culture traits within individual sites is a pattern that persists into later periods in the region. Settlements within this region of cultural overlap provide a unique opportunity for the study of identity and interaction along both spatial and historical scales. With that potential in mind, this work focuses on ceramic compositional variation in assemblages from the Cerro Pomo and Cox Ranch great house communities. Visual analyses of tempering materials and refired paste color, paired with electron microprobe assays of clay pastes, reveal distinct differences within and between wares. These complementary methods provide data which are examined here with three aims. These are: 1) assessment of the interpretive potential of ceramic provenance work in the study area; 2) creation of a visual, provenance-related typology that can be used by analysts in the laboratory; and 3) evaluation of local ceramic production and distribution with the intent to elucidate aspects of identity, interaction, and history. Results indicate that brown wares were likely produced with local clays and tempers, whereas grey wares were produced elsewhere and brought into the study area. The prevalence and local nature of the brown ware tradition indicates an expression of Mogollon cultural identity, while the ubiquity and proportions of grey and decorated wares indicate shared ties to Ancestral Pueblo groups to the north and other groups throughout the region. Visual provenance-related typology appears to be possible at a coarse, yet useful level of resolution. Finally, an argument is constructed against ethnic co-residence as an explanation for ceramic patterning in the study area.
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Details
- Title
- Complementary compositional analyses of ceramics from two great house communities in west-central New Mexico
- Creators
- Caitlin Anne Wichlacz
- Contributors
- Andrew I. Duff (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525076301842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis