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New Insights into Hohokam Buff Ware Production and Distribution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Mary F. Ownby
Affiliation:
Desert Archaeology, Inc., 3975 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85716 (mownby@desert.com)
James M. Heidke
Affiliation:
Desert Archaeology, Inc., 3975 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85716 (jheidke@desert.com)
Henry D. Wallace
Affiliation:
Desert Archaeology, Inc., 3975 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85716 (hwallace@desert.com)

Abstract

Hohokam buff ware pottery produced in Arizona has been much studied over the last few decades. However, petrographic analysis has been less frequently applied, due in part to mistaken assumptions regarding the raw materials utilized. The current study reexamined the use of petrography for locating the provenance of buff ware pottery from two sites, La Villa in the Phoenix area and Honey Bee Village in the Tucson area. The petrographic results suggest that production occurred in one primary area along the middle Gila River with minor production in a few other locations. The potters in this area supplied both the Tucson and Phoenix basins. Significantly, it was determined that, after the Early Gila Butte phase, potters switched from crushed schist to sand with natural schist. Such a phenomenon is likely related to increased demand developing from a rapidly evolving sociopolitical system and buff ware pottery becoming a socially valued commodity. This study indicates that petrographic analysis focused on relating sand to known sand composition zones, called petrofacies, can be a key tool for identifying production sources for Hohokam buff ware.

Résumé

Résumé

La cerámica ante Hohokam (Hohokam buff ware pottery) producida en Arizona ha recicibo considerable atención en las últimas décadas. Sin embargo, los análisis petrográficos no han sido frecuentemente aplicados, en parte debido a supuestos erroneos respecto a las materias primas utilizadas. El presente estudio reexamina el uso de la petrografia para la identificación de la procedendo de la cerámica ante encontrada en dos sitios, La Villa, en el área de Phoenix y Honey Bee Village, en el área de Tucson. Los resultados petrográficos sugieren que la producción ocurrió mayoritariamente en la cuenca media del ráo Gila y en menor medida en otras localidades. Esto demuestra que los ceramistas de esta área abastecieron de cerámica a las cuencas de Tucson y Phoenix. Los análisis indican que después de la fase temprana Gila Butte, los ceramistas reemplazaron el uso del esquisto molido por arenas con un componente natural de esquisto. Este fenómeno está relacionado con mayor demanda, probablemente como resultado de un sistema sociopolítico en rápidas váas de desarrollo y del nuevo valor social de la cerámica ante Hohokam. Este trabajo indica que los análisis petrográficos enfocados en relacionar las arenas con zonas composicionales de arenas, llamadas fades petrográficos, pueden ser una herramienta substantial para identificar las áreas de fuentes para la producción de la cerámica ante Hohokam.

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 2015

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