Crossing the Borders: New Methods and Techniques in the Study of Archaeological Materials from the Caribbean

22 / Hofman, Isendoorn, Booden, and Jacobs
Figure 2.1. Workability tests. A: clay source; B: kneading of the clay; C: coil building of a
test vessel; D–F: surface finishing of the test vessel with stone and shell.
firing behaviors of the clays. Experiments and ethnoarchaeological observations
evidenced that traditional potters on the mainland used similar techniques (Duin
2000/2001; Hofman and Jacobs 2000/2001; Hofman et al. 1993; Van den Bel 1995;
Vredenbregt 2004).
After kneading and pounding the clay, attempts were made to coil the clay and
build up small pots (Figure 2.1). The specimens that survived the shaping test successfully
(without cracks) were further tested for smoothening and drying.
This was done with shell and calabash tools as similar materials were found to
have been employed by the precolonial potters to finish their wares (Van Gijn and
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