Preliminary results of a multi-analytical study of ceramic technology in one of the earliest agropastoral villages of Northwestern Argentina (La Ciénega valley, ca. 200 BC- AD 900)

Abstract

The adoption of productive economies and settled life around the world constituted a pivotal moment in human history, one that reconfigured people’s relationships with the environment, non-humans, and material culture, including the invention of ceramic technology. This paper presents a multi-analytical study of ceramic technology among early agricultural societies of Northwestern Argentina (ca. 200 BC-AD 900) obtained through a suite of chemical, physical, and mineralogical techniques. The results from pXRF, XRD, XRF, and SEM-EDS compositional analysis indicate homogeneity in the raw materials used. The results allowed us to observe textural and intended use performance differences among ware groups that expanded our knowledge about ceramic technology in early agricultural societies. We argue that textural and performance differences reflect distinct technologies choices used by ancient potters to enhance pots’ performance in everyday food activities. We propose that a combined multiscalar consideration from the naked-eye examination of sherds to the elemental characterization of ceramics allows moving beyond isolated considerations of chemical composition or mineralogical characteristics to a single, integrated view of crafting as fulfilling important roles in everyday household tasks.