Production of prehistoric southwestern ceramics: A low-technology approach

Production organization of Tusayan White and Gray wares (A.D. 850-1150) in northeastern Arizona was inferred from four independent lines of evidence: (1) association between temper class and geological zone, (2) distribution of intermediate pottery having characteristics of coterminous wares, (3) portable vessel frequencies in the core and peripheral areas, and (4) distribution of items and features related to pottery making. In spite of the propositions made by some scholars that specialized ceramic production and a large-scale ceramic exchange were the case, the present analysis strongly indicates the prevalence of household production with a minimal occurrence of exchange in the core area of these wares during the period. In the right circumstances, a low-technology approach is more useful than high-technology and high-cost approaches, e.g., neutron activation, X-ray emission, thin-section analysis, in the study of production and exchange of prehistoric ceramics.