The Potential Role of Water Salinity in Limestone Tempered Logandale Gray Ware Ceramic Production in the Moapa Valley, Nevada: An Experimental Approach

Summary

Limestone has been shown to be an advantageous temper to use in utility vessels due to its ability to affect factors that mitigate problems caused by heat expansion and thermal shock during the use cycle of ceramics. Specifically, limestone alters the characteristics of the clay, allowing for the manufacture of thinner walled vessels. Additionally, it has similar thermal expansion characteristics as clay itself. However, it has been noted that limestone temper has a propensity to spall, thus compromising the structural integrity of the vessel. It has been demonstrated that the use of salinized water in the manufacturing process precludes such spalling. Through experimental means, this paper explores the potential use of salinized water sources in the production of Logandale wares that appear during the Basketmaker III period in Southern Nevada. The question of whether the Muddy River contains enough salt to counterbalance the spalling of limestone temper during firing is investigated, and the constraints around the necessary salinity of water needed for optimum results is explored.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage