Production Sequence of Rio Grande Glaze Ware as Revealed Through Petrographic Analysis

Abstract

In this paper, we present a systematic method focused on petrographic analysis to identify different steps in the pottery production process and use this method to evaluate Rio Grande Glaze Ware from the Rio Abajo region of New Mexico. Working within the framework of chaîne opératoire, we examine the pottery production sequence by measuring ceramic attributes that reflect choices made at different steps in the process. We argue that our method can detect changes in the production sequence over time, but not all changes occurred simultaneously or for the same reason. Also, not all changes affected the final appearance of the vessels, making petrography a critical tool for detecting change in less visible attributes. Ultimately, we argue that our method can be used across space and time to explore various questions of technological practice. While our case study is focused on Ancestral Pueblo culture, this kind of research is obviously not exclusive to the southwest United States but can be examined in pottery-producing cultures across the globe. Methods that use petrographic analysis for studies beyond the determination of provenance are a valuable contribution to the field of archeology.