Ramey on the Frontier: A Pilot Study of Select Ramey Incised Technology from Cahokia’s Southern Neighbors

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Step by Step: Tracing World Potting Traditions through Ceramic Petrography" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cahokia’s influence on the archaeological cultures of the upper Central Mississippi River Valley (CMRV) has often been described as less prominent than processes taking place in the northern hinterlands. Although few examples are found at each site, Ramey Incised jars are found in many early and middle Mississippian (AD 1000–1300) occupations in the CMRV, and archaeologists debate the role they played in everyday life and a localized Mississippian identity. This pilot study looks at the ceramic microstructure (ceramic petrography), use-wear, and contextual information of a few Ramey Incised jars from archaeological sites in western Kentucky and across the Mississippi in southeastern Missouri to produce detailed object itineraries. Petrographic results describe production methods used to create the vessels including estimations of base clays, clay mixing, firing environment, and formation methods. Use-wear and other contextual information is used to form inferences about where and how the jars were used at the sampled archaeological sites. The presentation compares these detailed itineraries with utilitarian, local vessels to establish similarities and differences in production and use during the height of Cahokia to the north. The presentation ends by introducing future goals and further research being developed about Mississippianization of Cahokia’s southern neighbors.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Step by Step: Tracing World Potting Traditions through Ceramic Petrography   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36432.0