Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry Analysis of Ceramic Artefacts from a Protohistoric Site in Oklahoma

Abstract

Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) analysis has proven to be a useful archaeological tool for characterizing the elemental composition of pottery clays. The specific approach used here responds to previously encountered problems by eliminating most of the temper contaminants before evaluating the clay. The method we use is described. AAS analysis has been employed to discriminate pottery clays from feature clusters in a protohistoric archaeological site in eastern Oklahoma. The chemical composition of these clays exhibits significant intercluster differences, a result that has been supported by differences in temper size and density, and wall thickness. The most parsimonious explanation for these findings is that the clusters include the discard of potters who came from diverse locales—perhaps loosely associated Wichita groups.