Abstract
This article summarizes a petrographic analysis of ten thin sections prepared from Riggs and Fort Yates ware sherds (ca. A.D. 1200 to 1450), the first such study ever conducted on prehistoric ceramics collected in North Dakota. The procedure identified, described, and estimated the percentage of observable aplastics (coarser grained inclusions) and examined the geometric relationships between the aplastics and the encompassing clay matrix (micromass). Grit tempering was used exclusively in the manufacture of each vessel represented. The large and abundant polymineralic grains (rock fragments) are granodioritic in composition and evince local tills as the most likely source for the temper. The mineral composition of the aplastics and the matrix is consistent with raw material resources readily available in central North Dakota. The overall abundance and coarseness of the tempering agent is likely added to mitigate the high shrink-swell capacity inherent in the montmorillonite clays that are prevalent throughout the region. The size, amount, and composition of the temper grains are also common to vessels manufactured for utilitarian (culinary) purposes. It was not possible in this study to distinguish Riggs from Fort Yates ware at the microscopic level.
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