University of Utah Press Integrative Approaches in Ceramic Petrography

Ceramic petrography, the microscopic examination of the mineral content and structure within ceramic thin sections, reveals the origin and movement of pottery and sheds light on the technology of the artifact. Although used by archaeologists since the 1930s, ceramic petrography has been uncommon until recently. Integrative Approaches in Ceramic Petrography highlights new results from this field and incorporates it prominently within current archaeological work. Thirteen papers cover a broad spectrum of regional and temporal contexts. Case studies provide practicalexamples by combining petrography with scientific, ethnographic, and experimental methods. The varied usesof ceramic petrography and the insights it has generated illustrate the significance of this method for understandingpast societies.The volume’s conclusion provides an astute overview of the field.