LATE PREHISTORIC CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY IN NEW YORK
Christina B. Rieth
A project was initiated in 2010 by researchers at the New York State Museum to examine the technological diversity of Early Late
Prehistoric (A.D. 1000-1400) ceramics. Ceramics from sites in central and eastern New York were compared to assess differences in
pottery manufacture. Ceramics from two horticultural hamlets provided information about the range of resources exploited and vessel
construction during this dynamic time period.
Forty-three vessels from the Bailey Site in Onondaga County were examined. Ninety-three percent contained incised, smoothed, and
notched decoration with motifs arranged in oblique, horizontal, and vertical lines. Forty-three vessels contained a semi-spherical and a
moderately well sorted temper (mostly gneiss and feldspar) measuring 0.5-2 millimeters. Three vessels contain open cavities and may
represent evidence for leached shell or limestone temper reducing the vessels efficiency and tensile strength during cooking.
The average wall thickness of these vessels was 7 millimeters. Sixteen vessels had an orifice diameter of 10-15 centimeters while ten
vessels were larger at 15-20 centimeters. Both the wall thickness and orifice diameter are smaller than vessels found in Onondaga
County and may be related to the need for more efficient cooking following the increased use of maize circa A.D. 1300. Variation in
core color suggests that different firing techniques were used. The absence of vessels with an orange brown hue suggests that the
occupants of this site may have selected clays with less iron than their Late Prehistoric neighbors.
Ceramics from the Pethick Site in Schoharie County were also examined. 1,396 sherds representing 22 vessels were recovered. Eightyseven percent contained cord-marked and cord-wrapped stick and paddle impressions around the interior and exterior surface of the
vessel. Design motifs around the vessels include horizontal lines, obliques, and chevrons. The sherds range from 1-8 centimeters in
length. Unlike the vessels from the Bailey Site, these vessels contain a temper manufactured from crushed anorthrosite, which outcrops
to the north in the Adirondack Mountains. Pieces of anorthrosite have been found in features suggesting nodules were processed on site.
Sub-angular gneiss, feldspar, chert, and quartzite inclusions represent additional materials used in pottery manufacture. One shelltempered vessel was identified. The presence of this vessel was surprising since shell-tempered vessels are uncommon in upstate New
York. Shell tempered vessels are often found in coastal areas and are documented in the lower Susquehanna Valley. Given the presence
of exotic lithic materials at the site, the vessel may have been acquired as a result of interactions with groups in these areas.
X-ray fluorescence analysis was conducted to determine whether these vessels were locally manufactured or represent the by-products of
regional trade. This research suggests that Late Prehistoric groups were procuring materials from within a 10-20 kilometer radius of the
site. The large number of “locally” manufactured containers argues against the long distance movement of settlements during this period.
Future research will focus on other regional settlements to determine whether these patterns are unique to these sites or whether they
represent larger regional or temporal patterns in the manufacture of ceramic vessels.
Christina B. Rieth, New York State Museum, Division of Research and Collections, Cultural Resource Survey, Albany, New York 12230, [email protected]
Beth Horton, Washington State University
Keywords: Northeast, New York, ceramics, Late Prehistoric, x-ray fluorescence, clay sourcing
Permanent URI: http://www.saa.org/CurrentResearch/pdf/saa_cro_168_Late_Prehistoric_Ceramic_.pdf
External Links: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/research_collections/research/labs/archaeology/research/arch/rieth/ceramic.html
Bounding coordinates (decimal degrees):
West: 41.2 North: -73.21 East: 43.33 South: -76.31
Citation Example: Christina B. Rieth (2013) Late Prehistoric Ceramic Technology in New York. SAA Current Research 168,
http://www.saa.org/CurrentResearch/pdf/saa_cro_168_Late_Prehistoric_Ceramic_.pdf, accessed (current date)
Current Research Online No: 168:1
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