Understanding Pottery Function [Hardcover]

The 1992 publication of Pottery Function brought together the ethnographic study of the Kalinga and developed a method and theory for how pottery was actually used. Since then, there have been considerable advances in understanding how pottery was actually used, particularly in the area of residue analysis, abrasion, and sooting/carbonization. At the 20th anniversary of the book, it is time to assess what has been done and learned. One of the concerns of those working in pottery analysis is that they are unsure how to do use-alteration analysis on their collection. Another common concern is understanding intended pottery functionthe connections between technical choices and function. This book is designed to answer these questions using case studies from the author and his colleagues for applying use-alteration analysis to infer actual pottery function. The focus of Understanding Pottery Function is on how practicing archaeologists can infer function from their ceramic collection.The 1992 book Pottery Function combined ethnographic study of the Kalinga with methods for analyzing how pottery was used. This book describes advances in residue analysis, abrasion and sooting/carbonization, updating progress in our understanding of function.1. Understanding Pottery Function.- 2. Intended Function: Inferring Manufacturing Performance.- 3. Sooting and Carbonization.- 4. Attrition.- 5. Residue.

From the reviews:

James Skibos volume, Understanding Pottery Function, is a well-written and well-researched foray into the complex study of vessel use. & Skibo demonstrates through a number of case studies how fruitful partnerships between archeologists and chemists might be formed & . Case studies, in turn, form an integral part of this book and are one of its most pronounced strengths. & this book is a stand-alone beginners guide for determining vessel function & . (Joshua R. Lieto, North American Archaeologist, Vol. 35 (2), 2014)

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