Micaceous Mindsets: Chemical Characterization of Classic Period Utility Wares at Multiple Sites Along the Rio Grande

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Micaceous utility wares are commonly found at Ancestral Pueblo villages along the Rio Grande and adjacent areas, yet they have received comparatively little attention relative to the contemporary well-studied glaze wares. Compositional studies show that glaze ware vessels and their ingredients were often transported across the landscape, driven by a mix of ritualistic and economic factors, but utility wares were also a common component of daily Pueblo activities and are shown to have been involved in complex exchange schemes. Neutron activation analysis is used to chemically characterize micaceous utility sherds from seven Classic Period (1300 – 1600 CE) sites located along the Rio Puerco and Rio Grande between the modern towns of Santa Fe and Socorro, New Mexico. Five micaceous ware distribution patterns are recognized based on the spatial patterns of compositional groups present within and shared between sites. These indicate procurement and/or manufacturing similarities between the Rio Puerco and Albuquerque areas, and differences to the north on the Pajarito Plateau and to the south along the Rio Abajo.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40441.0