Testing Methods for Ceramic Dating on Northern Black Mesa

Summary

The presence and proportions of well-dated ceramic wares and types are used to date the occupation of sites across the Southwest, often to general periods or phases that exceed a site's likely occupation span. Various methods have previously been used to refine the dating of archaeological sites using ceramic artifacts. Recently, Logan Simpson conducted a Class III cultural resources survey of Peabody Western Coal Company's leased lands on northern Black Mesa, Arizona. This study uses ceramic types and wares to date the occupation of sites recorded during the survey. The study tests the effectiveness of various methods, including mean-ceramic dating techniques, for dating the surface ceramic assemblages at sites on northern Black Mesa. The ceramic dates are compared with absolute dates obtained during excavations conducted by the Black Mesa Archaeological Project and used to examine chronology and settlement patterns across the surveyed mine areas.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16463