Finding a Middle Ground: Paste Analysis by way of a USB Microscope in the Lake Titicaca Basin, Bolivia

Summary

Ceramic pastes in the Titicaca Basin reflect shifting pottery production practices across space and time. Yet paste groups are not very standardized, making it difficult to compare ceramic pastes between sites, explore regional pottery production, social interactions, economy, and broader ecological and social landscapes of the past. This poster presents results from ongoing research employing a Dino-lite digital USB microscope in paste analysis and its value compared to petrographic analysis. Due to cost, time, and level of experience, most projects cannot petrographically analyze pastes. A USB microscope can measure the size, shape and abundance of particular inclusions more accurately than a hand lens. The digital USB microscope is portable, affordable and time efficient, allowing for analysis to be conducted in the field. This tool is being implemented to compare two common Late Formative Period (200 B.C.-A.D. 500) pastes from two regions in Bolivia, the Taraco Peninsula and the Upper Desaguadero Valley. This method is promising for future ceramic analysis, as it encourages standardization and inter-site comparisons. Ultimately, this tool provides quick yet detailed insights into past social landscapes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• People, Pottery, and Petrography: Recent research in ceramic petrography

Keywords

Spatial Coverage