Developments in Ceramic Materials Research

In: Developments in Ceramic Materials Research ISBN 978-1-60021-770-8
Editor: Dena Rosslere, pp. 1-34 © 2007 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 1
POSTCLASSIC MAYA CERAMIC ADVANCES:
CONJOINING STYLISTIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, AND
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONAL DATA
Leslie G. Cecil ∗
Stephen F. Austin State University
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Gerontology,
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
ABSTRACT
On-going research into the Postclassic (ca. A.D. 950-1500) Maya of northern
Yucatán, Belize and Guatemala reveals that it was a time of dynamic sociopolitical
alliances and dominance relations, changing religious cults, long-distance exchange, and
migrations of sociopolitical groups from northern Yucatán to central Petén and vice
versa. New approaches to understanding the Postclassic Maya have centered on the
exchanges of obsidian, salt, symbol sets, and pottery styles. While these studies have
advanced our understanding of the sociopolitical complexity and far-reaching trade of
some items, the most ubiquitous artifact at most Postclassic Maya sites—pottery—has
not been examined to its fullest potential. With few exceptions, pottery is not being
analyzed using both mineralogical and chemical techniques. As a result, Maya
archaeologists are overlooking data that could identify places of manufacture,
manufacturing recipes for different pottery wares, groups, and types, and ultimately
exchange patterns.
In order to identify patterns of Postclassic sociopolitical group-specific pottery
manufacture, exchange patterns of those groups, and compositional similarities, slipped
pottery from the central Petén lakes region of Guatemala was examined using three kinds
of analyses that produced stylistic (type-variety classification), technological
(petrographic analysis), and chemical compositional data (laser ablation inductively
coupled plasma spectroscopy and instrumental neutron activation analysis) of the ceramic
pastes and slips. The three different kinds of analyses are complementary in nature as
each provides a different categories of data so as to create a more robust and
∗ Phone: (936) 468-3980; Fax: (936) 468-2162; Email: cecillg@sfasu.edu