Absolute Chronology of the Early Formative Revisited: Bayesian Analysis, Radiocarbon Chronology, and the Emergence of Pottery in the Americas

Summary

In 1987, the author’s doctoral dissertation featured a comprehensive analysis of calibrated radiocarbon dates associated with the earliest ceramic complexes in the Americas towards a model for the emergence of sedentary lifeways. This resulted in a critical evaluation of James Ford’s posthumously published model for the Early Formative diffusion of pottery as well as other cultural features in a region extending from the Southeastern U.S. through Mesoamerica and the Isthmo-Colombian Area to the central Andes. This paper provides a detailed update on the current absolute chronology for initial ceramic technology in the Americas, applying revised radiocarbon date calibration standards and Bayesian statistical analysis to evaluate how three decades of additional, accumulated data have contributed to our models for the invention and diffusion of Formative ceramic technology, patterns of cultural interaction, and their relationship to emergent social complexity.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Olmec, Chavin, and Things in Between: A Comparative Approach to Emergent Complex Societies

Keywords

Spatial Coverage