Methods to Identify Post-depositional Geochemical Alterations to Ceramics in Submerged Archaeological Sites: a Case Study Using Prehistoric Ceramics from Eastern Dominican Republic

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Geochemical analysis methods such as trace element and stable isotope analyses have been refined in recent years to better address archaeological questions pertaining to clay sourcing as well as ceramic trade and transport. However, these analyses are rarely applied to studies of ceramics from submerged sites due to increased potential for post-depositional geochemical alterations. This study compares results of trace element, lead isotope, and petrographic analyses of prehistoric ceramics recovered from underwater environments in eastern Dominican Republic to those recovered from terrestrial sites in the same region. These comparisons will allow for a better understanding of how underwater deposition impacts geochemical signatures of ceramics as well as which methods might be used to mitigate the effects of these alterations. Implications of results and future applications of methods developed in this project to future studies of ceramic procurement and use by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of eastern Hispaniola will also be presented.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow