Developments in Ceramic Materials Research

16
Leslie G. Cecil
distinct recipes (Figure 4). One recipe (Figure 4A) involves volcanic ash inclusions as well as
a small percentage of plagioclase and feldspar minerals that are approximately .15-.025 mm
in size (Cecil 2001:357-358).
Figure 4. Thin section photographs of Clemencia Cream Paste ware pottery: A) volcanic ash tempered
(Topoxté Red type excavated from Ixlú), B) small cryptocrystalline calcite inclusions (Chompoxté Redon-paste:
Akalché Variety excavated from Zacpetén), and C) calcite (euhedral, polycrystalline, and
cryptocrystalline), hematite, biotite, shell, chert, and chalcedony inclusions (Chompoxté Red-on-paste:
Akalché Variety excavated from Zacpetén). All photographs were taken at 40X with cross polarized
light.
The second clay paste (Figure 4B) consists of cream-colored marly clay with calcite
(euhedral, polycrystalline, and cryptocrystalline), hematite, and biotite minerals, and organics.
The third Clemencia Cream Paste ware recipe (Figure 4C) includes the same cream-colored
clay but with calcite (euhedral, polycrystalline, and cryptocrystalline), hematite, biotite, shell,
chert, and chalcedony mineral inclusions.
The Vitzil Orange-Red ware pottery also has three different combinations of mineral and
organic inclusions that were detected through petrographic analysis (Figure 5). The first
combination is volcanic ash and small (.15-.025 mm) feldspar minerals (Figure 5A)(Cecil
2001:361-363). The second recipe consists of the distinctive reddish-orange clay and quartz,