Archaeology Lab
ANTL 207
Exercise 7 – Analysis of Prehistoric Ceramic Artifacts
10 October 2012
In this exercise you will be learning some of the basic methods of analysis for prehistoric
pottery. This is a two-part lab exercise that is due in one week - at the latest next
Wednesday the 17th by the end of class. In other words, you have three entire class
periods (3+ hrs) to finish Lab Exercise 7. If you finish the exercise early (by next Monday
the 15th) then when you come in next Wednesday the 17th you can begin making
aboriginal-style pottery yourself in the Archaeology Lab.
Part I
The first part of the exercise involves watching a short (8 min.) YouTube video on
archaeological ceramics that’s part of the Archaeos0up “Aspects of Archaeology” series.
You can view this video anywhere – in the Archaeology Lab (using headphones), at home,
or anywhere else. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPyTZ59mzq0 and watch the
entire video. After viewing it answer the following questions (please type):
1). Why are archaeologists so interested in ancient pottery? Provide at least three
reasons why they spend so much time analyzing ancient ceramic artifacts.
2). What kinds of attributes do archaeologists examine and record in the process of
classifying ancient ceramics?
3). How can archaeologists date ancient pottery? What methods were discussed?
4). What is ceramic petrology and what kinds of things can petrological analyses tell
archaeologists?
5). Why are some archaeologists keen on studying fingerprints in ceramics?
Part II
The second part of this lab exercise involves you analyzing ceramic sherds (broken pieces
of fired clay vessels) from coastal North Carolina. You’ll complete this part of Exercise 7 in
the Archaeology Lab. Begin by reading the “Background” section of the handout titled
“North Carolina Indigenous Pottery: A Summary View.” Next, read the following sections
of the handout titled “7 FABRICS:” 7.1 COLOR; 7.4 FEEL AND 7.5 INCLUSIONS (only sections 7.5.1
& 7.5.2). Both of these can be found on-line (on our class web page under “Student
Resources”) or there are several print copies on the lab tables in the Archaeology Lab.
Describing ceramic fabric, which includes color, texture (feel) and inclusions (temper) is a
major part of any analysis of ceramic artifacts.
Once you’ve finished reading address each of the following points for each of four
different ceramic sherds you’ll select from the trays in the lab. You may hand write this
lab exercise but be sure to do so very neatly!
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Assign an arbitrary number to each sherd.
Make a plan view drawing of each numbered sherd using a sharp pencil.
Describe the color(s) of each numbered sherd using the Munsell soil Color Chart
and specify which color chart you used for each sherd. Does your sherd have
more than one color? Describe where (using arrows on your drawings) each of
the different colors is found. Why do you think your sherd might have more
than one color?
 Describe the surface texture or ‘feel’ of each sherd. Use the classification
categories (Harsh, Rough, Smooth, etc) listed under section 7.4 of the handout
on ceramic fabrics to describe surface texture (‘feel’).
 Look at the inclusions with first your naked eye then with a hand lens or loop.
o Try to determine what kind of temper is present in each sherd. You
might see sand, shell, grog (broken sherds), rock and organic material
(which is often seen as voids as grass or moss burns out during firing) and
possibly a combination of tempering material.
o Estimate the frequency of aplastic inclusions (temper) using the modified
Udden-Wentworth Scale seen in your handout on ceramic fabrics. Note
frequency in terms of percentages (1, 3, 5, 10 or 20%). Also estimate the
size of inclusions (temper) using the categories of ‘Large to Very Large,”
“Medium to Very Large” and “Medium.”
o If there is more than one kind of tempering material describe the type
and size of the minority aplastic inclusions using the criteria above.
 If you have a rim sherd estimate rim diameter using the rim diameter chart.
 What kind of surface decoration (if any) is present on each sherd? To do this
use one of the handouts in the Lab titled “Decorative Tools & Motifs for
Prehistoric Ceramics.”