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W&M ScholarWorks W&M ScholarWorks Undergraduate Honors Theses Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 5-2008 The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis Laura Steadman College of William and Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Steadman, Laura, "The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis" (2008). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 813. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/813 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Transcript of The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late ...

Page 1: The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late ...

W&M ScholarWorks W&M ScholarWorks

Undergraduate Honors Theses Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects

5-2008

The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle

Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis

Laura Steadman College of William and Mary

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses

Part of the Anthropology Commons

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Steadman, Laura, "The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late Middle Woodland Virginia Coastal Plain: An LA-ICP-MS Analysis" (2008). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 813. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/813

This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected].

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Acknowledgements

This thesis could not have been possible without the support and advice of many

people. Samples for this analysis were generously loaned by VA-DHR, the New Jersey

State Museum, and the College of William and Mary’s Anthropology Department. LA-

ICP-MS analysis was generously funded by Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources

(VA-DHR). Summer research was facilitated by a Batten Scholarship from the College

of William and Mary’s Charles Center as well as a Nathan Altshuler Scholarship from the

Department of Anthropology. William and Mary’s Student Activities Conference Fund

also alleviated costs for my travel to Ocean City, Maryland, to present this research at the

2008 Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference. A paper based on this research won

the undergraduate student paper competition and will be published in an upcoming

Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology. The preliminary results of this research were

presented at the 2007 Eastern States Archaeological Federation Conference in Burlington,

Vermont.

I would like to especially thank the following people: Michael Barber, Chris

Stevenson, and Keith Egloff (VA-DHR); Michael Stewart, Gregory Lattanzi, and George

Pevarnik (Temple University); Josh Duncan, my advisor Dr. Martin Gallivan, my

Examining Committee members Dr. J.C. Poutsma and Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz

(WM), and everyone else who has helped me along the way.

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Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables…………………………………………………………..…p. 2 Abstract………………………………………………………………………………..p. 3 I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………….p. 4 II. The Middle Woodland in the Middle Atlantic Region…………………………..…p. 5 III. Overview of Ceramics Research…………………………………………………..p. 12

A) Mockley Ware…………………………………………………………….p. 12 B) Abbott Zoned Ceramics………………………………………………......p. 12 C) Previous Comparative Analysis: Rockman’s Petrography Analysis….…p. 16

IV. Study Introduction……………………………………………………………….p. 18 A) Overview of Sites………………………………………………………..p. 19 B) Sample Selection……………………………………………………...…p. 22

V. Pre-Analysis Sample Measurements……………………………………………..p. 26 VI. Background on Archaeometric Analysis………………………………………..p. 31

A) Instrumentation………………………………………………………….p. 31 B) Challenges in Analysis…………………………………………………..p. 39

VII. Data……………………………………………………………………………..p . 42 VIII. Results and Implications………………………………………………………p. 58 IX. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………p. 65 X. Works Cited………………………………………………………………………p. 68 XI. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………p. 74

Figures and Tables Figure 1. Approximate Locations of Virginia Sites in this Analysis………………….p. 19 Table 1. Sample Summary by Site and Type…………………………………………p. 23 Table 2. Maycock’s Point (44PG40) Sample Distribution By Layer…………………p. 24 Table 3. Vessel Wall Thickness Summary……………………………………………p. 27 Figure 2. Abbott Zoned Incised from Abbott Farm………………………………..…p. 29 Figure 3. Abbott Zoned Incised from Maycock’s Point (44PG40)…………….…… p. 29 Figure 4. Unusually Decorated Vessel from Maycock’s Point (44PG40)……………p. 30 Figure 5. Unusual Punctate-Decorated Vessel from Maycock’s Point (44PG40)…….p. 30 Figure 6. Bivariate Plot of Samples………………………………………………..…p. 43 Figure 7. Scree Plot of Eigenvalue Differences………………………………………p. 46 Table 4. Summary of Principle Components Eigenvalues, Percent Variance, and Cumulative Percent Variance…………………………………………………p. 47 Figure 8. Plot of Principle Components 1 and 2 with 90% confidence ellipses………p. 49 Figure 9. Graphical Representation of Eigenvectors………………………………….p. 49 Figure 10. Principle Components 3 and 4 with 90% confidence ellipses……………..p. 51 Figure 11. Principle Components 5 and 6 with 90% confidence ellipses ………… …p. 51 Table 5. Samples with Less than Ten or One Percent Probability of Belonging in Predicted Groups………………………………………………………………….….p. 52 Table 6. Redefined Groups Based on Mahalanobis Distance Calculations……….…p. 53 Figure 12. Reclassified groups displayed via Principle Components 1 and 2 with 90% confidence ellipses……………………………………………………………p. 54 Figure 13. PCA of Virginia Samples By Site………………………………………...p. 57 Figure 14. PCA of Maycock’s Point Samples………………………………………..p. 58

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Abstract

The presence of small quantities of Abbott Zoned Incised ware in Virginia has

long-puzzled archaeologists. Used by late Middle Woodland peoples in the Delaware

and Hudson River Valleys, this ware is not known to have been found in Delaware or

Maryland. An analysis of 114 ceramic samples from Virginia and New Jersey using

Laser Ablation-Inductively Couple Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) indicates

that Abbott Zoned Incised vessels were largely-locally produced in the Virginia Coastal

Plain. This project also indicates that utilitarian Mockley vessels were moved both within

the Virginia Coastal Plain and between Virginia and the Abbott Farm site in the Delaware

River Valley. The results of this analysis bring into question previous interpretations of

social relationships among peoples of the Middle Atlantic Region during this time period.

This thesis proposes alternative lines of interpretations to be considered by the region’s

scholars.

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I. Introduction

This thesis utilizes results from a materials characterization analysis of 114

prehistoric ceramic sherds to give new evidence for interpreting the social relationships

among late Middle Woodland peoples of Middle Atlantic North America. Analysis of

highly-decorated Abbott Zoned Incised (AZI) ceramics with comparison to contemporary,

utilitarian Mockley samples from five Virginia sites and the Abbott Farm site in the

Delaware River Valley in New Jersey via Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-

Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) sought to determine whether AZI vessels recovered

from Virginia sites were manufactured locally or were the products of long-distance trade

networks with the Delaware River Valley. The question of Virginia AZI’s origins has

been debated by archaeologists who have interpreted this unusual ware as having

important implications for understanding the organization and development of non-

egalitarianism in late Middle Woodland hunter-gatherer societies and the social and

political relationships among groups in the Middle Atlantic Region (Gregory 1983,

Stewart 1998a, Hantman and Gold 2002). Materials characterization analysis provides

elegant and empirically-based results with which to understand the material expressions

of social relationships. Furthermore, the results of this analysis allow multi-scalar

interpretive explorations for the particular histories of interaction of late Middle

Woodland peoples: at the intra-site level for Maycock’s Point (44PG40) in Virginia,

among sites within the Virginia Coastal Plain, and regionally between the Virginia

Coastal Plain and the Delaware River Valley. This thesis is primarily concerned with

understanding the relationships of people who inhabited two places that loom large in the

Middle Atlantic prehistory: the Abbott Farm site (now Abbott Farm National Landmark)

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in the Delaware River Valley near Trenton, New Jersey and the Maycock’s Point site on

the James River in the southern Coastal Plain of Virginia.

Several archaeologists (e.g., Custer 1984; Hantman and Gold 2002) have used

Sahlin’s (1963) Melanesian Big Man model as an analog for Middle Woodland

relationships during the Middle Woodland period as well as in accounting for the

presence of AZI in Virginia. The results of my analysis question the terms of this model.

An alternative interpretation is presented here which focuses on how Middle Woodland

people may have used Abbott Zoned vessels to maintain and display identity at feasting

events related to seasonally-based ceremony or ritual.

In the following pages, I will present an overview of the region and time period in

question, the results of the LA-ICP-MS analysis, and the implications that these results

have for understanding the social and political relationships within and between the

Coastal Plain of Virginia and the Delaware River Valley, as well as the possible role of

Abbott Zoned Incised vessels in the late Middle Woodland among these people.

II. The Middle Woodland in the Middle Atlantic Region

The Middle Atlantic Region is “located along the Atlantic coast from New York

to Virginia, extending west to include the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and

Ridge and Valley physiographic provinces” (Hantman and Gold 2002: 271). Viewed in

this way, Virginia is situated on the southernmost bounds of this culture area.

Archaeologists studying prehistoric Native American peoples in the Middle Atlantic

Region define several periods of time that are generally differentiated by the types of

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technologies present (e.g., ceramics, stone tools, burial practices) and settlement patterns

employed. These periods are: Paleoindian, Archaic, and Woodland. There is

considerable regional variation and differing opinions on the time frames for each period.

This project is focused on the Woodland period, which is generally differentiated

from the Archaic period before it by the beginnings of ceramic technology. There is

evidence, however, that some pottery was being made during the late Archaic. In the

most general sense, the Woodland Period can be considered the time of transition from a

period in which people tended to live in small, mostly egalitarian hunter-gatherer (non-

sedentary) groups to the development of non-egalitarian (ranked) societies with

permanent settlements (increased sedentism), accelerated population growth, the

widespread adoption and development of ceramic technology, and, later, the advent of

the bow and arrow.

Archaeologists typically divide the Woodland Period into three sub-periods: Early,

Middle, and Late Woodland. The late Middle Woodland and early Late Woodland are of

particular concern to this thesis, and as such will be discussed in the most detail. Most

Middle Atlantic archaeologists define the Middle Woodland period as spanning from ca.

400/500 B.C. to ca. A.D. 800/900 (McLearen 1992: 40; Stewart 1992: 1) based on

regional-wide changes seen in the archaeological record. Archaeological evidence

indicates that Middle Woodland peoples took advantage of different habitats in a

seasonally-based settlement rotation. During this time:

Subsistence is based on traditional methods of hunting and gathering with its focus on deer and other land mammals. Supplementing this base is an increased, and in some cases intensified, interest in fish, shellfish, and other estuarine and riverine resources, including rich and starchy roots, tubers, and other plant foods. [Stewart 1992: 4]

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The appearance of shell middens provides evidence for intensified seasonal exploitation

of aquatic resources, and in a few cases indicates year-round settlement (McLearen 1992:

44-45, Opperman 1992: 79, 91; Barber and Madden 2006: 79). The declining use of

interior places during the Middle Woodland is possibly a result of this shifting

subsistence pattern (Opperman 1992: 37).

In addition to more numerous shell middens, evidence for an increased focus on

seasonal resource exploitation is provided in the form of food-processing and storage pits

at some Virginia sites (McLearen 1992: 45) as well as in the Delaware River Valley. At

the Abbott Farm site in New Jersey, Cross noted that un-worked shell, originating at least

35 miles away, was recovered mostly from pit features, and that large amounts of mica

(including large slabs) were also recovered from pits, although not necessarily in the

same pits as shell (Cross 1956:161-162). Cross suggested that shell and mica had been

stored for use as temper, and that large slabs of mica could have functioned as pot lids

(1956: 161-162). If she was correct in her interpretation, it could indicate that the need

for pot-manufacturing at Abbott Farm was anticipated by its inhabitants, and perhaps,

then, that there was a greater-than-usual need for vessels. This would support the theory

of intensive resource processing, particularly food (anadramous fish) and the related need

for long or short-term storage and transportation needs. While previous researchers

theorized that Abbott Farm was a center for argillite redistribution, archaeological

evidence synthesized by Cavallo suggests that this was not likely a significant site

function, and instead points to the use of large quantities of argillite as by-products of

intensive processing of shad and sturgeon (1984:117).

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There seems to be a trend towards increased sedentism as well as overall

population growth during the Middle Woodland in addition or perhaps related to this

changing subsistence pattern (Custer 1984: 75-76; Stewart 1992: 15). This does not

mean that people lived in permanent villages, but rather that they tended to remain in one

place longer—perhaps moving seasonally to take advantage of different ecological

resource zones. Opperman suggests that such subsistence changes and population growth

occurred by ca. 300 A.D., and ends by about 900 A.D. (Opperman 1992: 43, 93).

Changing settlement patterns during the Middle Woodland period may have been

partially facilitated by the development of ceramic technology. Ceramic technology first

appears in the Middle Atlantic ca. 1200 B.C., and replaced the previous container

technology, steatite (soapstone) vessels, which were the primary container type from ca.

1700 B.C. (Custer 1984: 85). It is highly likely that Middle Woodland peoples used other

types of containers in addition to soapstone vessels (as they are found only in small

quantities), but these containers would have been made of materials that have not

survived in the archaeological record. Some archaeologists have argued that soapstone

vessels served different functions than ceramics, thus negating their proposed

“replacement.” Stewart (1998c: 2-4) summarizes and furthers the arguments of others

that steatite containers would have been unwieldy and likely not used for cooking foods,

but for more specialized, possibly ritual or ceremonial, purposes. Soapstone vessels

remained in use (still in small quantities) during early ceramic use (Stewart 1998c: 4).

Stewart describes the Middle Woodland period (post-700 B.C.) as the time in

which ceramics become the dominant container type due to the increased prevalence on

archaeological sites and vessel size during this time (Stewart 1992: 7, Stewart 1998c: 7).

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Furthermore, the wide-spread adoption of ceramic technology probably led to changes in

the ways in which foods were prepared, causing improved nutrition and thus population

size increase (Stewart 1992: 8). McLearen sees a “pan-Chesapeake phenomenon in terms

of material culture and to some extent, ecological adaptations” for Middle Woodland

societies in the Virginia Coastal Plain north of the James River (1992: 41). This

widespread adoption of similar material culture includes the use of Pope’s Creek and

later Mockley ceramics, the appearance of Maryland and Pennsylvania rhyolite bifaces

and points throughout the region, and the creation of similar types of archaeological sites

such as shell middens and widespread use of estuarine environments (McLearen 1992:

41).

The similarities in material culture, settlement patterns and subsistence practices

throughout most of the Middle Atlantic Region during the late Middle and early Late

Woodland periods suggests that much of the region was inter-connected, and that

materials were traded from different resource zones. Stewart (1989) has proposed two

types of exchange systems: broad-based exchange and focused exchange, which, together,

he believes can explain most of the movement of material goods during this time. The

movement of material goods should be examined with the recognition that people moved,

too. While Stewart argues that larger Middle Woodland sites may be viewed as “macro-

social unit camps in a fusion/fission cycle of settlement, which [. . .] may have shifted

seasonally between resource zones” (Stewart 1992: 14), Anderson and Mainfort interpret

these sites (which occur in the Southeast as well) as places of interaction among different

groups that are often found in “boundary areas” (2002: 13).

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These places of multi-group interaction and exchange could have been primary

sites for ceremonial events such as feasting, the development of group identities, and the

negotiation of leadership and authority of individuals (and groups). McLearen notes the

presence of exotic lithics (potentially Onondaga cherts) at the Maycock’s Point site as

being “interpreted as status items involving a focused and highly ritualized organization

of trade networks “(1992: 43). Also present are exotic Abbott Zoned ceramics, as well as

the more common Mockley ceramics and Fox Creek/Selby Bay lithics.

This evidence has led archaeologists to suggest that Middle Woodland social

organization can be described as small tribally-based communities led by people who

achieved their status largely through action, rather than a purely hereditary-based system

of rank (Anderson and Mainfort 2002: 10). Scholars promoting this theory often cite the

analog of Marshall Sahlins’ Melanesian “big men” (1963). Several archaeologists

suggest that the centralization of nonlocal goods in the Tar Bay region of the Virginia

Coastal Plain may provide evidence for the presence of a “Big Man” authority figure in

this area, controlling to some degree the distribution of rare material goods (McLearen

1992: 43-44; Stewart 1998a; Hantman and Gold 2002). The ideas behind this “Big Man”

theory and their implications will be discussed in more detail later.

Archaeologists have gathered evidence that points to multiple waves of

Algonquian peoples migrating into Virginia, possibly replacing previous peoples,

between 600/200 B.C. and A.D. 300/700 (Stewart 1992: 22). The possibility of

Algonquian peoples migrating into the region during these two time periods is significant

to this project for a number of reasons. They appear to occur during the widespread

adoption of Mockley within the region, as well as the use of Abbott Zoned vessels. These

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potential waves may also be connected to changes in subsistence and settlement patterns

that are seen across the region. Archaeologists study the archaeological record from

multiple viewpoints for information regarding the possible population replacements

during the Middle Woodland.

Ceramics provide a key source of evidence. Opperman (1992: 29-30) notes that

the considerable variation of ceramic designs seen in the lower Middle Atlantic may be

“indicative of at least some degree of regional cultural diversity [. . .] during the early

Middle Woodland period prior to approximately A.D. 200.” However, this variation

seems to decrease during the Middle Woodland, as Johnson and Speedy note: “Except for

the rare occurrence of Abbott Zoned Incised ware [. . .] the Middle Woodland ceramics of

the [James River Estuary] area are only infrequently decorated and then exhibit the most

pedestrian of design attributes” (Johnson and Speedy 1992: 92). Johnson and Speedy’s

(1992) comparison of cordage twists on Middle and Late Woodland ceramics (Varina,

Prince George, and Mockley wares) recovered from three sites in the James River estuary

(Irwin-44PG4, Hatch-44PG51, and Enclosed Settlement- 44PG65) provides evidence for

a second potential population replacement ca. A.D. 800.

Archaeologists have also attempted to use linguistic evidence to understand these

population shifts. Fiedel (1987)’s linguistic research indicated an Early to Middle

Woodland movement of Algonquian speakers into the Northeast United States area.

Luckenbach, et al. (1987), analyzed Eastern Algonquian dialects in the Northeast and

Middle Atlantic Regions using glottochronology to determine the diversity among these

related languages and suggested that Algonquian speakers originated from the Great

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Lakes area and spread through the region over time. However, not everyone agrees that

this method is valid (Potter 1993: 2).

III. Overview of Ceramics Research

Mockley Ware

Mockley ware is a shell-tempered, utilitarian ceramic that has been recovered in

Middle Woodland contexts throughout much of the Coastal Plain Middle Atlantic Region.

Surface treatments include plain, cord-marked, net-impressed, and fabric-impressed. It

was first described as part of the Chickahominy series by Clifford Evans (1955) and later

classified as its own ware by Stephenson and Ferguson (1963). Egloff and Potter’s key

work on Virginia ceramics suggested a date range of ca. 200/300 A.D. to 800/900 A.D

(1982: 103). Radiocarbon-dated layers at Maycock’s Point fit these dates nicely

(Opperman 1980: 16). There is some evidence that surface treatments on Mockley (cord-

marked, net-impressed, or fabric-impressed) changed in frequency through time (Evans

1955: 86: Cross 1956: 180; Opperman 1980: 29).

Abbott Zoned Ceramics

Abbott Zoned ceramics are intricately decorated vessels that exhibit

noncurvilinear and geometric designs on their exterior walls, often on or near the rim of

the vessel. These ceramics were first described typologically by Dorothy Cross in her

1956 volume on the archaeology of New Jersey, specifically the Abbott Farm site. She

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identified several variations of Abbott Zoned ware based on the decorative techniques

employed. These include Abbott Zoned Incised, Abbott Zoned Dentate, and Abbott

Zoned Net Impressed (Cross 1956: 144-149). Her work is still considered a key source

to understanding these ceramics. Another variation, Abbott Zoned Punctate, was first

typed by Janet Pollak (1971: 42-43). Building on Cross’s foundational work,

archaeologist Michael Stewart has provided a more in-depth analysis to the various wares

found at Abbott Farm in his 1998 monograph (1998b). Stewart notes that in the Delaware

River Valley, Abbott Zoned decorations appear on bodies similar to various types of

contemporary (e.g., Mockley, Ware I) or earlier (e.g., Pope’s Creek, Brodhead) wares,

while in the Virginia Coastal Plain they appear on “Mockley-like” bodies (1998a: 162,

169).

Dorothy Cross characterized Abbott Zoned Incised pottery as being variably

tempered with shell, grit, sand, or mica (1956: 144). Decorations on these vessels

consist of incised lines with some reed punctation, with the designs:

composed of elaborate combinations of horizontal, vertical and oblique lines; triangles nested or filled with horizontal lines, cross-hatching or herringbone; parallelograms with cross-hatched fill; oblique, vertical or horizontal bands of cross-hatching; herringbone; ladders; single, or double and multiple parallel zigzags; diamonds, plain or filled with vertical lines. [. . .] Design elements are separated by plain areas, touch each other or overlap. Some vessels contain three or four elements so intricately placed that the design looks like a fabric. [Cross 1956: 144] Cross described Abbott Zoned Net Impressed as grit and shell-tempered with net

impressions that “are much tighter than on the surface finish of regular net-impressed

pottery,” as well as a variety of incised designs (1956: 145-147). Abbott Zoned Dentate

is grit-tempered and impressed with rectangular or square dentates in a variety of patterns

(Cross 1956: 147). Cross also defined an Abbott Horizontal Dentate as being less a

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complicated version of Zoned Dentate (1956: 148). Janet Pollak characterized Abbott

Zoned Punctate decorations as “a series of large, equilateral triangles filled with

crescentic punctuations and bordered by single and double lines of dentate stamping”

(1971:42). Cross believed Abbott Zoned ceramics developed at the Abbott Farm site

during the Middle Woodland and remained in use there into the Late Woodland period

while influencing other incised wares such as Overpeck Incised (1956: 180).

Abbott Zoned ceramics were not discarded in unusual contexts (graves, caches,

etc), but rather appear to have been discarded in normal contexts (Stewart 1992: 11). It

should be noted, however, that some Abbott Zoned Incised was found with burials at the

Abbott Farm site (Cross 1956: 63-67). Abbott Zoned ceramics have been recovered from

multiple sites in the Delaware and Hudson River Valleys, but are most concentrated at

Abbott Farm. Stewart (1998a) has suggested a date range of ca. 200-900 A.D. for Abbott

Zoned ceramics. They tend to appear at larger sites at which multiple groups likely

aggregated to take advantage of seasonally-available aquatic resources (Stewart

1998a:171).

Abbott Zoned Incised has also been discovered at approximately 10 sites in

Virginia. Interestingly, however, none is known to have been found in Delaware,

Maryland, or west of the Fall Line in Virginia (Stewart 1998a: 173, McLearen 1992:42-

43). While not including all sites currently known to have AZI, Michael Stewart

provides a good impression of the distribution of this ware in the Middle Atlantic Region

(1998a:172).

Intrigued by its unusual decorations and widely-dispersed geographic distribution,

archaeologists have suggested a number of socio-cultural explanations for the appearance

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of Abbott Zoned pottery. Some early researchers suggested that Abbott Zoned vessels, as

well as other material goods, and activities at associated sites, were the product of

Hopewellian influence (Cross 1956: 181, 195; Pollak 1971). When discussing the

dentate ware, Cross states: “There possibly is some connection with the Hopewell culture

where both zoning and dentate stamping are characteristic” (1956: 147). This

interpretation has been called into question (e.g., Thurman 1978), though, since Abbott

Zoned decorations exhibit linear and geometric designs lacking any of the curvilinear

forms characteristic of Hopewellian ceramics.

Some archaeologists have applied Marshall Sahlins’ theoretical understanding of

the Melanesian Big Men in interpretations of Woodland period peoples in the Middle

Atlantic Region, including those that involve AZI ceramics (Custer 1984: 97-98; Stewart

1985; McLearen 1992: 43-44). Marshall Sahlins presents the “big-man” as an individual

who gains an elevated status among his peers not through hereditary means but through

actions designed to obtain popularity and loyalty of others (1963: 289). Sahlins believed

that in Melanesian society, a political system in which big men were the authority figures

was bound to be unstable over the short term due to constant rivalry and competition

among ambitious individuals (1963: 292-293).

More recently, Hantman and Gold have developed a model of Middle Atlantic

prehistory centered on the cycling of social regimes that drew upon restricted goods,

including Abbott Zoned Incised pottery, which served as prestige goods and status

markers (2002). They state: “Abbott Zoned reflects a new venue for status marking

between A.D. 200 and 900, wherein ceramic decorative patterns, rather than ceramic

technology, was key to such [differential status] marking” (2002:284). They see Abbott

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Zoned ceramics as indicative of the presence of individuals who used restricted goods ---

material goods whose access was limited to some degree and functioned as status

markers --- as a means to jockey for authority and power amongst each other and to gain

followers who would enable further power-making. They see this trend recurring

throughout the Woodland period (and earlier) with different goods and practices.

Furthermore, they theorize that “competition for rank apparently was defined by the

ability to access nonlocal prestige goods and distinctive mortuary ritual” (2002: 287). In

response to Sahlins’ suggestion that these systems are politically unstable, they believe

that “the indigenous cultural system of checks and balances on inequality was very stable

over four millennia (3000 B.C. - A.D. 1000)” (2002: 288).

Due to the rarity of occurrence and intricacy of decoration, Stewart has focused

on the potential roles of AZI in public events. Stewart has theorized that these vessels

were related to feasting and public ceremony related to activities (or made possible by

activities) at sites of intensive resource exploitation, and that their limited distribution is

indicative of their “role in strictly defined public ceremonies or activities” (1998a:

174,176).

Previous Comparative Analysis: Rockman’s Petrography Analysis

In 1993, William and Mary Honors Thesis student Marcia Rockman conducted a

petrographic analysis of 23 samples of Abbott Zoned Incised and fabric-impressed

Mockley from the second humus layer of Excavation 14 of the Abbott Farm site,

Maycock’s Point (44PG40), and the Timberneck site (a shell midden) in the Catlett

Islands of Gloucester County, Virginia (Rockman 1993:32-38). Her study determined

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that Abbott Zoned Incised vessels from Virginia and New Jersey were made in a similar

manner, but that the New Jersey examples contained sandier clay (Rockman 1993: 46).

Furthermore, she noted that sherds from the Timberneck site were probably from

different clay sources than the Maycock’s Point sherds (Rockman 1993: 47). Stewart’s

work led him to surmise that “it is clear from the different ceramic pastes on which the

designs are executed that the ceramics are not all being made in the same place or from

the same clays and tempers” (1998a:168). These lines of evidence suggest that the

production of specially-incised ceramics was not restricted to one location within a region,

but rather occurred at multiple places throughout time.

Understanding how these vessels were produced at sites provides further insight

into their intended functions. Stewart stated: “there is no evidence to suggest that the

manufacturing process for the zoned decorated pottery was any different from that

employed for the variety of other coiled ceramic wares in use at the time (1998a: 168).

However, Rockman’s analysis indicated that incised sherds from Maycock’s Point had

coarser temper than sherds that were unincised (1993:41). Rockman did suggest that

incised vessels were produced in an overall similar manner to Mockley (1993: 44).

While the results of Rockman’s petrographic analysis are useful, the small sample

size limits their ability to conclusively inform theoretical interpretations about social

organization and interactions during this time period. This project was designed to

supplement and expand on Rockman’s petrographic work. It was originally hoped to

obtain all of Rockman’s samples for LA-ICP-MS analysis, but unfortunately only the

samples from Maycock’s Point could be located at the time of sample selection.

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IV. Study Introduction:

The primary goal of this project was to answer questions concerning the

production, circulation, and use of Abbott Zoned Incised (AZI) ceramics, to develop a

better understanding of their role within hunter-gatherer communities across the region

and within individual sites. To address these questions, I selected 114 ceramic samples

from five Virginia sites and Abbott Farm National Landmark to be analyzed using both

traditional methods and materials characterization of their clay pastes. Traditional

methods consisted of standard measurements of sherd temper type, vessel portion, size

and thickness, horizontal and vertical curvature, as well as stylistic descriptions of

decorative methods used. The clay paste portion of each sample was analyzed using

Laser Ablation- Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), carried

out under the supervision of Dr. Hector Neff at the Instituted for Integrated Research in

Materials, Environments and Society (IIRMES) at California State University, Long

Beach. The instrument used was a GBC Optimass Time-of-Flight ICP-MS, which is

attached to a New Wave UP213 laser ablation system. Funds for this analysis were

generously provided for by Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources.

Overview of Sites:

Through literature research and consultation with archaeologists working in the

Middle Atlantic region, I identified the Virginia sites used in this study based on

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knowledge of the presence of AZI at the time of sample selection and accessibility to

sample collections. These sites are: Maycock’s Point (44PG40), Big Island (44NK5),

Bartlett (44NK166), Irwin (44PG4), and Newington (44KQ6). Their approximate

locations are shown in Figure 1, below.

Figure 1. Approximate Locations of Virginia Sites in this Analysis

Maycock’s Point (44PG40)

Maycock’s Point (44PG40) is located on the Tar Bay of the James River,

approximately 22 miles southeast of Richmond and the fall line (Opperman 1992: 7).

The Tar Bay provides an estuarine environment with freshwater marshes nearby, and the

site itself is considered to be upland in character (Opperman 1992: 13, 24). The site is

currently protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service as part of the James River

Wildlife Refuge. A large shell midden on a bluff, about thirty feet above the shoreline

dominates the prehistoric component of this site (Opperman 1980: 1). There are at least

eight shell middens of varying age present at Maycock’s Point (Barber and Madden 2006:

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74). First surveyed in the 1960s by C.G. Holland and Ben C. McCary, portions of the site

were also excavated by the College of William and Mary’s Anthropology Department

under Norman Barka and McCary in 1970-1971, as well as in 1981-1982 by University

of Tennessee Master’s student Antony Opperman, and finally a controlled surface

collection by Barber and Madden (2006). Archaeology at Maycock’s Point has shown it

to have intermittent occupations spanning from the Archaic eighteenth century. Research

on the Maycock’s Point archaeological collection includes: faunal analysis by Opperman

(1992), ceramic analyses by Opperman (1980) and Rockman (1993), as well as ongoing

research by William and Mary graduate students Josh Duncan and Brian Heinsman.

Numerous theoretical studies, many mentioned elsewhere in this thesis, have

incorporated data from the site.

Irwin (44PG4)

The Irwin site (44PG4), on the east bank of the Appomattox River, is

approximately four miles from Hopewell, Virginia (MacCord 1964: 37). MacCord notes

that it is on a “gravelly terrace,” and that there are fresh water springs nearby (1964: 37).

An analysis of cordage twists changes through time on Mockley ware by Johnson and

Speedy (1992) utilized samples from this site. Unfortunately, little other information on

this site was available in the published literature.

Bartlett (44NK166)

The Bartlett site is located on a low terrace just off of the Chickahominy River

near where Diascund creek and Mill creek converge (Klein 1994: 21). Marshlands

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border the water-front of this location. Klein (1994: 21) reports radiocarbon dates from a

pit containing zoned incised ceramics of 1150 ± 60 B.P (adjusted to 1100 ± 60 B.P., or ca.

790- 910 A.D.). These dates correlate to the late Middle Woodland time period

suggested for zoned incised ceramics elsewhere (see Stewart 1998a). Samples used in

this analysis came from surface collection and context N 25 E 26 C1.

Newington (44KQ6)

The Newington site is located on the eastern shore of the Mattaponi River, across

the river and to the north of the Mattaponi Indian Reservation. Marshlands across the

river extend northward, and other marshes are present to the south.

Big Island (44NK5)

The Big Island site is located on a creek on the south side of the Pamunkey River.

No information on this site could be found in the published literature.

Abbott Farm (New Jersey)

The Abbott Farm site (or the Abbott Farm National Landmark) is located on the

eastern shore of the Delaware River, near Trenton, New Jersey. It is more accurately

labeled a complex of sites including both lowland and terrace sites (Stewart 1998b: 7).

Abbott Farm has been the subject of numerous research projects and writings stretching

back for more than a century. This project focused on ceramics from Dorothy Cross’

Excavation 14, which is located along Watson’s Creek. According to Cross, Excavation

14 was located “in the lowlands at the foot of a bluff” (Cross 1956: 28). This site

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contained multiple layers: Humus 1, 2, 3, and 4. The third humus, from which this

project’s samples were selected, is believed to date from the late Early Woodland to the

early Late Woodland (Cross 1956: 179), although there are no published radiocarbon

dates as of the writing of this thesis.

Sample Selection

I chose samples of decorated and Mockley ceramics from each site with an effort

to pair them from the same contexts where possible. Samples of cordmarked or net-

impressed Mockley were chosen to serve as a “base set,” or a “control” of sorts, since it

seemed reasonably to assume that these sherds would be made from local clay sources,

thus showing a locally-characteristic chemical composition for comparison with the AZI

samples. The possibility that Middle Woodland peoples transported Mockley vessels

from site to site with seasonal settlement changes was recognized, but it was hoped that

this would be only a minor source of variation if at all.

I initially designed my sample selection strategy to provide statistically significant

groups from each site. I felt that it was desirable to focus the analysis on Maycock’s

Point (44PG40) decorated ceramics due to both the relative abundance of AZI in the site

collection as well as a general interest in the prehistory of this specific site (as discussed

in previous chapters). The distribution of samples analyzed by site and type is shown in

Table 1, below.

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Table 1: Sample Summary by Site and Type

Site Name

# Mockley Samples

(net-impressed and cord-marked)

# Abbott Zoned

Samples

Total

Samples

44PG40 (Maycock’s Point)

36 25 61

44KQ6 (Newington) 3 1 4

44NK5 (Big Island) 4 1 5

44NK166 (Bartlett) 2 4 6

44PG4 (Irwin) 5 1 6

Abbott Farm (New Jersey) 19 13 32

Totals 69 49 114

For four Virginia sites, fewer than the planned number of AZI samples were

located. As a result of this, the decorated ceramic groups were smaller, and so I decided

to decrease the number of Mockley from these sites as well. More than the planned

number of AZI samples were discovered in the Maycock’s Point (44PG40) artifact

collection, and so I selected samples to represent a variety of contexts on the site as well

as variety in design. Samples with designs particularly similar to those from New Jersey

were usually chosen over less similar ones. I did this in an effort to give both the

broadest picture possible as well as to increase the likelihood of finding a New Jersey-

manufactured sherd in Virginia.

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Table 2: Maycock’s Point (44PG40) Sample Distribution by Layer

Layer # Decorated

Percent of

Total

#

Mockley Percent of total

1 2 8 2 5.56

2 7 28 15 41.67

3 1 4 3 8.33

4 3 12 6 16.67

8 1 4 0 0

Feature 4 16 2 5.56

No Context 3 12 0 0

Opperman Excavations 4 16 8 22.22

Total 25 36

The distribution of decorated samples from Maycock’s Point by context is shown

in Table 2, above. Other examples discovered in the Maycock’s Point artifact collection

housed at the College of William and Mary but not used in this analysis exhibited similar

contexts. Ultimately, thirteen contexts, including two pit features and five strata, as well

as two different excavations are represented. Three decorated samples had no context.

Unfortunately, poor excavation records do not allow features to be linked to strata or

cultural periods (Opperman 1980: 7). Over a quarter of the decorated (as well as

Mockley) samples used in this analysis were recovered from Layer 2 of the site.

Charcoal from this layer was radiocarbon dated to 875 ±90 A.D. (uncalibrated)

and may possibly be associated with a florescence of settlement at Maycock’s Point as

well as increased ceramic decoration variation at the site, possibly following a period of

site abandonment (Opperman 1980: 4, 24).

AZI and Mockley sherds previously sampled by Marcia Rockman in a

petrographic study (1993) were selected. It was hoped that all of Rockman’s samples

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could be analyzed using LA-ICP-MS, but unfortunately only the Maycock’s Point

samples could be obtained at the time of sample selection.

Samples from 44NK5 had no available context information. Samples from

44KQ6 were all recovered from Square 35, level 2. Samples from 44NK166 were from

surface collections, excavation unit N25 E26 C1, and one was designated 1A-S. Samples

from 44PG4 were recovered from Feature 30 and “Surface and plowzone over features

30 and 31.”

Samples from Abbott Farm were selected with a preference for third humus pit

feature samples, as per the suggestion of archaeologist Michael Stewart, as well as with

an eye towards designs similar to those discovered in Virginia. All samples were taken

from Dorothy Cross’ Excavation 14. Samples were ultimately from the third humus

(general or pit features), except for one sample which was from the second humus. The

context information for these samples is summarized in the Appendix. 5R3, Pit 10,

which had dark brown soil fill with charcoal particles, also contained lithic points and

tools, a copper bead, and several types of pottery (Cross 1956: 48). Some Abbott Farm

sherds being used contemporaneously for a petrographic and Instrumental Neutron

Activation Analysis (INAA) study by a Temple University graduate student, George

Pevarnik, were chosen to allow comparison of tests.

While the final sample groups for the Virginia sites other than Maycock’s Point

were smaller than ideal, they still provide useful information about the amount of

variation in the clays being used in this area during the late Middle Woodland period. If

an individual sherd from any Virginia site was produced in New Jersey, it should give a

signal characteristic of the New Jersey ceramics tested in this analysis. If such a sherd is

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Virginia-made, it should produce a signal more characteristic of Virginia clay. This

assumption could be flawed if the methods of production for AZI differed significantly

from Mockley, but it is hoped that Virginia and New Jersey are geologically distinct

enough to render such processes minimally influential in differentiating regional clay

groupings. (In other words, these processes alter the chemical composition less than their

clay source being in New Jersey versus Virginia).

V. Pre-Analysis Sample Measurements

Archaeologists categorize a number of choices made by potters in order to

understand ceramic variation and similarity. A vessel may be described as having a base

(bottom), a body, and an orifice (Rice: 1987: 212). The actual material of a vessel is

broken up into the paste (clay part) and a tempering material, which may be crushed

stone, shell, crushed fired clay (grog), or clay itself. Natural inclusions often also exist in

the clay, and can be difficult to differentiate from purposefully added temper materials

(Rice 1987: 408-409). Many ceramics also have some form of decoration. This may be a

design drawn or etched directly on the body, or an applied glaze or slip. Despite the many

opportunities for variation in the production of ceramics, it has been found that vessels

can often be linked to others of common manufacturing origin. Provenience analyses

such as this one rely on this property of archaeologically-recovered pottery.

The measurement data of the sherds in this study are by no means meant to be

representative of the full variation in Mockley of Abbott Zoned Incised wares. For

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example, overall sherd size is likely to be skewed by the selection process (sherds small

enough to fit in sample bags, yet large enough to analyze design, curvature, etc. were

chosen, while very large sherds and very small sherds existed in the collections). While I

believe the Virginia sherds are a good representation of the variety of designs known, the

sherds selected from Abbott Farm do not begin to scratch the surface of the stylistic

variation encountered there. All measurements and basic analyses notes are provided in

the Appendix.

Table 3: Vessel Wall Thickness Summary

Virginia

Mockley

Abbott Farm

Mockley Virginia AZI

Abbott Farm

AZI

Mean (mm) 7.33 8.11 6.97 8.51

Minimum (mm) 1.25 6.02 4.88 5.98

Maximum (mm) 10.6 9.854 9.06 11.82

Number of

Samples 53 17 26 10

A comparison of vessel thicknesses (summarized in Table 3, above) suggests that

Virginia vessels, both Mockley and Abbott Zoned Incised, tended to be slightly thinner,

with Virginia AZI being the thinnest group. The Abbott Zoned samples analyzed from

the Abbott Farm site show greater variance than any other category, with three sherds

over 10 mm in thickness. The thickest Virginia AZI sherd was just over 9 mm. While the

selection of three rather thick sherds may cause the data to be skewed, even without them

the AZI from the Abbott Farm site is still generally thicker than those from Virginia. I

ran an unpaired student’s t-test of Virginia AZI versus Abbott Farm AZI to determine if

the difference between these two groups is significant. The two-tailed P-value for this

test is 0.006, indicating that the two groups are indeed significantly different. (t= 3.7433,

df= 36, standard error of difference=0.483). Thickness measurements of Mockley from

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Virginia and Abbott Farm suggest that overall, vessels in the Virginia Coastal Plain were

thinner-walled. A student’s t-test of these two groups indicates that they are significantly

different (two-tailed p-value of 0.0331, t=2.1761, standard error of difference =0.395).

Opperman reports average Mockley vessel wall thicknesses ranging from 6 mm to 8.1

mm, with the thickness appearing to generally increase through time (1980: Appendix,

Figure 12). An analysis by Stephenson and Ferguson (1963: 107-112) provides a vessel

wall thickness range of 8-11 mm for Mockley (from Opperman 1980: 20). Vessel

curvature measurements were recorded for all samples that exhibited a measurable

curvature and were over 2.5 cm in width/height. These measurements are presented in

the Appendix. Due to time limitations, a thorough analysis of the stylistic variations

within the dataset was beyond the scope of this thesis. All samples were photographed

before and after analysis, and a disc of these photographs will be on file in the

Anthropology Department at William and Mary. Figures 2 and 3 show samples that

exhibit typical Abbott Zoned Incised designs. Figures 4 and 5 show samples from

Maycock’s Point that are unusually decorated but not considered to be varieties of Abbott

Zoned ceramics.

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Figure 2. Abbott Zoned Incised from Abbott Farm. (Sample # 216). Note the multiple zoned areas of

decoration.

Figure 3. Abbott Zoned Incised From Maycock's Point (44PG40). (Sample #10)

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Figure 4. Unusually Decorated Sample From Maycock's Point. (Sample # 1).

Figure 5. Unusual Punctate Decorated Vessel from Maycock's Point (Sample #4).

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VI. Background on Archaeometric Analysis

The use of analytical chemistry in archaeology has increased a great deal over the

past few decades. Studies using physical methods to understand the archaeological

record are often placed in the category of archaeometric studies. Archaeometry papers

are routinely published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, Archaeometry, and

occasionally in American Antiquity, among others. There are also many published books

and volumes on more specific archaeometric applications. Archaeologists have applied

this science to study a wide array of subjects, from obsidian trade routes in the prehistoric

Southwest to the living conditions and diets of past populations via skeletal remains. Not

surprisingly, a major focus of such studies has been on pottery. While there is a

seemingly infinite amount of variation in ceramics around the world, they tend to be a

conservatively produced good, making them a viable subject for analytical studies.

Instrumentation

There are several analytical techniques commonly used to ask questions of

archaeological ceramics. When considering the use of analytical techniques to answer an

archaeological question, a general understanding of the different techniques available is

deemed desirable due to the importance of selecting the most appropriate technique for

the question(s) at hand. In choosing instrumentation for the analysis of archaeological

ceramics, several things must be taken into consideration. First and foremost must be the

type of information needed to answer the questions being asked. Important considerations

include sample size requirements, destructivity of sample preparation, analysis time and

cost, accessibility of instrumentation, reproducibility of results, whether quantitative or

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qualitative results are desired, and, tied to this, the limits of detection needed to achieve

adequate resolution.

One of the longest-utilized techniques is petrographic analysis (more of a

geological method than a chemical method). Neutron activation analysis (sometimes

called instrument neutron activation analysis, NAA/INAA) and inductively coupled

plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) seem to be the two most commonly used analytical

methods. Other, less common, methods include x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray

diffraction (XRD), electron microprobe, and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy

(FT-IR). A brief overview of these techniques will be given below with a consideration

of their advantages and potential problems, with a concern towards previous studies done

about the Middle and Late Woodland prehistory of the Middle Atlantic Region. Then, a

more in-depth discussion of the technique employed in this project (LA-ICP-MS) will be

provided.

Petrography

Petrographic analysis can provide information about the “fabric” of a sherd, and is

particularly well-suited to identify mineral inclusions. This process is destructive in that

it requires a thin section to be made from a sample. Petrography can be helpful in

determining groups with different mineral inclusions, but if sources are similar group

differentiation may be too subtle to detect. Because of petrographic analysis’ limited

resolution, it is most commonly used complementarily to other methods of analysis

(Buxeda, et al. 2001). In this respect, petrographic data can be useful in understanding

variation seen in other types of analyses such as neutron activation analysis (see below).

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Marcia Rockman’s 1993 petrographic analysis of Abbott Zoned Incised ceramics

(discussed in a previous chapter) provides a good example of this technique’s

applicability for studying prehistoric peoples in the Middle Atlantic Region. Currently,

Temple University graduate student George Pevarnik is evaluating settlement models and

attempting to identify clay production areas for the Delaware Valley using both

petrography and neutron activation analysis.

X-Ray Diffraction

In the study of archaeological ceramics, x-ray diffraction (XRD) is most often

used to examine conditions of firing and deposition. The occurrence or absence of

different mineral phases (identified via their crystalline structures) allows an estimation

of firing conditions such as temperature, length of firing, and environment, parameters is

important in understanding ceramic production technology. Because different firing

conditions can produce different phases of the same minerals, XRD is not usually useful

for identification of production groups and is more often used to complement data from

other analyses such as ICP and XRF (Maritan 2005). An early XRD study (Weymouth

1973) focused on the temper as an indicator of production group. The study was able to

establish relative concentrations of temper components which were then used to separate

samples into groups of different manufacture. While this example showed potential, it

does not seem to have been a widely adopted method of analysis. XRD can also be used

to “rule out” some sources or types of clay (Klein 1990). I know of two analyses of

Middle Woodland Virginia ceramics using XRD: Klein 1990, and Rockman 1993. Both

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encountered problems due to the low-fired nature of most Middle Woodland pottery,

therefore suggesting that XRD has limited utility in the region.

Miscellaneous Techniques

Other analytical techniques are used less frequently and usually as a supplement

to more conventional methods of analysis. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-

IR) can provide data on mineral species present in a sample. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is

attractive because of its capabilities for nondestructive analysis, but is limited in its

resolution. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is sometimes used when temper or

inclusions may obscure analysis of the clay paste. EPMA allows the concentrations of

elements on a spot to be analyzed via x-rays emitted in response to bombardment by

electrons. This process can analyze a limited number of elements, and not in trace

amounts. An EPMA analysis of Hohokam ceramics by Abbott (2000) supplemented

previous XRF work by illuminating complexly differentiated groups. I know of no

examples of these less commonly employed techniques for Middle Atlantic Region

ceramics.

Neutron Activation Analysis

Instrument neutron activation analysis (INAA) or neutron activation analysis

(NAA) has been used to study archaeological artifacts since the 1950s (Glascock and

Neff 2003) and is widely accepted as a useful tool for proveniencing ceramics.

Researchers at the Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) estimate that over

100,000 samples are analyzed per year worldwide (MURR archaeometry website). NAA

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is appealing for its ability to quantitatively determine the concentrations of 30-35

elements from a small sample. MURR, one of the leading laboratories for this technique,

analyzes 33 elements from a 2 cm2 sample (Glascock 1992: 13-14). Limits of detection

in ceramics analysis are generally above 0.1 ppm (Kennet, et al. 2002). This is often

more than sufficient for defining sample groups with common source zones.

While NAA provides highly sensitive analysis of ceramics, it does have some

drawbacks of which to be aware. NAA analyzes a bulk powder solution, which means

that temper is included unless first separated out. This is generally not a problem but can

lead to a more complicated dataset. Perhaps most importantly to archaeologists with a

budget and time schedule, there are a limited number of nuclear reactor laboratories.

Waiting time for instrument access is often four months (MURR website). The analysis

itself can be quite time consuming—irradiation procedures can take over four weeks! In

addition to slow turn-around, analysis costs are high. The current rate for ceramics

analysis with NAA, according to the MURR website, is $100/sample up to 100 samples,

and $90/sample if more than 100 samples are being analyzed. While analyses from

individual laboratories are comparable with each other, the use of different standard

reference materials makes inter-laboratory data systematically different (Glascock 1992:

15). Nevertheless, the large existing databases make NAA an attractive option where

previous work has been done.

Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Due to advances in analytical chemistry, variations on the use of inductively

coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have relatively recently gained

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considerable attention in the archaeometric world. ICP-MS allows the quantitative

determination of approximately 70 elements (Kennet, et al. 2002), with ppb or better

detection limits for some elements, varying slightly with introduction method used ICP-

MS also has the capability to measure some isotopic ratios, which cannot be done with

NAA. While 70 elements are not needed to differentiate groups of pottery and fewer are

routinely analyzed, some elements analyzable by ICP-MS but not NAA may be helpful in

such analyses. Kennet, et al., suggest that trace amounts of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb)

may allow the determination of production groups for especially refined materials

(2002:451-452). According to Tykot and Young, “ICP-MS gives excellent performance

for rare earth elements, platinum group elements, and Ag, Au, Th, and U” (1996:188).

Several sample preparation and introduction methods have been developed,

including weak acid extraction, microwave digestion, and laser ablation. These generally

require smaller sample sizes than NAA, an attractive advantage to those wishing to

preserve as much of the archaeological record as possible. Weak-acid extraction-ICP-MS

involves the use of a weak acid to solvate out elements present in a sample for

quantitative analysis via a liquid solution. Triadan, et al., argue that this method is not

comparable to NAA directly and may in fact reflect differences in firing temperature

rather than clay compositions (1997). This method has been largely unpopular due to its

use of caustic acids and mediocre results. Microwave digestion is yet another alternative

preparation method for ICP-MS analysis. Sample preparation for this technique is

complex and can be time consuming, but the overall analysis time is still less than that of

NAA, and if standardized, the process would be less expensive and studies of this report

detection limits in the parts per billion (ppb) range (Kennet, et al., 2002). While this

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method has great potential for analytical studies, laser ablation-ICP-MS has become a

more popular technique. These two techniques are about equally correlated with NAA

data but are not intercomparable (Larson, et al., 2005: 98).

Laser Ablation-ICP-MS

Laser ablation is a particularly attractive choice for the analysis of surface

treatments (i.e., glazes) on museum-quality specimens as the sample can be taken from an

inconspicuous portion of the vessel. This method allows the concentrations of up to 70

elements to be analyzed (although usually fewer are tested). This technique does offer

less resolution, as limits of detection are usually in the parts per million. As stated by

Cochrane and Neff (2006:378): “while laser ablation of intact samples provides only

microanalyses of ceramic composition, the speed, precision, and ease of the technique are

advantageous.” That LA-ICP-MS is a microanalysis or “spot analysis” technique rather

than a bulk analysis (such as NAA) has important implications. First, it means results are

not directly comparable to bulk analytical methods (although they give generally similar

information). Secondly, it means that this method can avoid analyzing temper particles,

which may make the difference between a muddled analysis and a successful

differentiation of groups. However, it should be noted that this could also obscure group

separation actually due to temper, as Larson, et al. (2005) discovered in their findings that

olivine temper comprised a separate group that would have been undetected otherwise.

The large amount of shell temper present in Mockley and decorated samples was one

impetus for choosing LA-ICP-MS rather than NAA for this study, as it was felt that there

was probably minimal differentiation to be seen due to temper differences.

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Sample testing with LA-ICP-MS works as follows: a small piece is broken off the

sample to expose a fresh, uncontaminated surface. This piece is then loaded into a

chamber where it is ablated with a laser. According to Speakman and Neff (2005:2),

“Ablation areas vary in size depending on the sample matrix, but the analyzed area is

usually smaller than 1,000 x 1,000 microns and less than 30 microns deep.” Once ablated,

elements (in gas phase) are sent through a plasma torch and then a long tube, where they

separate by mass. At the end of this tube, the elements are run through a mass

spectrometer, where their concentrations are analyzed. Spectral interferences require the

use of more sensitive instrumentation, such as the use of time of flight rather than

quadrupole for mass separation (Speakman and Neff 2005:8).

ICP vs. NAA

While limits of detection may not be as good for each element as for NAA, ICP-

MS has a number of advantages over NAA. Analysis time is much less, and waiting time

for instrument access seems to be comparable (Hector Neff, personal communication).

Costs for analysis are considerably less. At the Institute for Integrated Research in

Materials, Environments, and Society (IIRMES), samples can be analyzed for $30 each

(IIRMES website). This means that three samples could be tested using LA-ICP-MS for

less than the cost as one NAA sample. While databases for ICP-MS are not nearly as

large as those for NAA, it remains a viable alternative, especially for areas in which

previous work has not been done. Direct comparisons between the two types are not

currently possible.

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Challenges in Analysis

There are multiple contamination concerns to take into consideration when

studying ceramics using compositional analysis. These include: the effects of temper,

firing temperature, as well as post-manufacture and post-depositional alterations. Also of

concern in trying to identify ceramics of similar origins are variability in a potter’s

“recipe” (e.g. mixing multiple clays) or variation among potters and heterogeneity of the

clay sources used.

Effects of Temper

Alterations of the chemical composition of the clay paste can also be due to the

temper of a vessel. Temper, whether crushed stone, shell, or sand, is often difficult to

distinguish from the paste. For analytical studies, Cogswell, et al., state that: “Most

often, interest in pottery is the chemical profile of the raw clay source. Temper is thus

considered a contaminant that confounds the relation between finished products and

source clay.” (1998: 63). However, it should be remembered (as noted above) that

temper can sometimes be used advantageously to determine groups of manufacture. Of

particular concern to researchers, and of great significance to this analysis, are the

problems associated with shell temper. Cogswell, Neff, and Glascock identify calcium,

strontium, manganese, and sodium as possibly problematic elements due to the presence

of shell-tempering (Cogswell, et al., 1998: 66). In bulk chemical analysis studies, such as

NAA, “it is possible that multiple compositional groups, or at least broadening of

compositional groups, could result from the addition of variable amounts of shell temper

to the same raw clay.” (Cogswell, et al., 1998: 64). Furthermore, leaching may cause

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elements of high concentration in the temper (such as calcium in shell) to be

overrepresented in the paste, and thus cause other elements to be underrepresented to the

point that they are below accurate detection limits. Shell temper is particularly

vulnerable to leaching, and the degree of leaching is highly dependent upon the burial

environment (Cogswell, et al. 1998). An analysis of Fijian shell-tempered ceramics via

LA-ICP-MS shows that the presence of shell temper can attenuate data, and suggests that

this can be avoided or at least minimized by using spot analysis (i.e., laser ablation) rather

than bulk analysis methods such as NAA (Cochrane, Neff 2006). A number of

researchers suggest that a mathematical adjustment of the elemental concentrations of

samples with shell temper is the most accurate way of correcting for high calcium and

strontium concentrations (Cogswell, et al., 1998; Steponaitis, et al., 1996).

Post-depositional Alteration

Scholars have recognized that the burial environment may effect the chemical

composition of archaeological ceramics, primarily through the movement of ions via

ground leaching and weathering processes. A study using XRD and NAA shows that

calcium and potassium can be leached out, while sodium may be incorporated, into the

outer surfaces of sherds (Schwedt, et al., 2006). However, it seems that post-depositional

alterations are mostly insignificant or easily avoided in analysis. Hodge, et al., identify

twelve elements (Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, and Th) that are “not

susceptible to post-deposition alteration and likely to reflect the clay matrix rather than

non-plastics” (1992: 209). Analysts consider removal of the outer surfaces of a sample

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41

prior to testing as an acceptable method of reducing such analysis, under the assumption

that the interior of the sherd will be least affected by depositional environment.

Firing Conditions

Analyses of the effects of firing temperatures have generally suggested little

effect on the chemical composition of ceramics. Cogswell, et al., surmise that, like post-

depositional effects, “If any diminution of elements should occur through firing it

presumably would especially affect the outer surfaces” (1996: 284). Their study of

thirty-three elements in clay test tiles via Neutron Activation Analysis suggested that

firing conditions had no significant effect on element concentration, except perhaps on

bromine (1996: 284). Differences in firing temperatures are often successfully analyzed

via x-ray diffraction.

Other Considerations

While clays are composed primarily of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon dioxide

(SiO2), and water, they also have other components, such as oxides, in small amounts,

and other components in levels below 1000 ppm (Glascock 1992:11). These minor and

trace components are what allow differentiation via chemical analysis. Clay sources

themselves can have considerable internal variation. Variation among clay sources are

partially due to the underlying geology of the river drainage systems to which they

belong. An NAA study by Steponaitis, et al., showed that Mississippian ceramics (even

with different temper types) in the southeastern United States exhibited elemental

components associated with minerals commonly found in area clays, and that these

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ceramics could be grouped by regional drainages (1996). It can be assumed with

reasonable confidence, then, that clay sources in two different drainage systems with

different underlying geologies will have discernible compositional differences.

The complex processes involved in pottery manufacture can make it difficult to

determine actual clay sources used. Variables that make this difficult include: refining of

clays, the mixing of multiple clays, and culturally-defined selection of clay sources.

Studies that attempt to identify clay sources by analyzed raw clays must be careful in

understanding that the sources the researchers choose to sample may not have been the

sources that past potters would have chosen to utilize.

VII. Data:

Chemical composition analyses such as this one often require multiple statistical

procedures to make sense of the elemental data. Good overviews of the statistics needed

for this analysis are: Drennan (1996), Shennan (1997), and Baxter (1994), in increasing

order of complexity. For this study, calculations were performed using Excel and a

statistical computation package developed by researchers at the University of Missouri

Research Reactor Center (MURR), employing practices widely adopted in the published

literature to examine relationships among samples. Raw data are available upon request.

Initially, bivariate plots of the logarithmically transformed element concentrations

were produced to identify potential groupings and outliers. Most researchers seem to

agree that such transformation is desirable for two reasons: 1) to compensate for

differences in magnitude between major and trace elements, and 2) to “normalize” the

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data (Hodge, et al. 1992: 208; Glascock 1992: 16). Two samples, Mockley sherds from

Abbott Farm (#219) and Maycock’s Point (#47), were repeatedly identified as outliers as

shown in Figure 6, below. The shell-tempered Mockley sample from Maycock’s Point in

Virginia was characterized by unusually high concentrations of calcium and strontium,

both elements indicative of the presence of shell or limestone. Correspondence with Dr.

Neff confirmed that a piece of limestone was ablated during sample analysis (Neff,

personal communication, 2007). Mockley sample #219 from Abbott Farm exhibits very

high concentrations of Na, Si, and K. Both samples were removed from further analysis,

as they do not represent variation in the clay matrices. The ability of temper ablation to

skew the data is one risk associated with the laser ablation technique, but could be easily

mitigated by re-analysis of the sample, even using the same piece previously analyzed.

Unfortunately, time constraints did not allow re-analysis of the two samples in this study.

L og (U) ppm vs . L og (F e) ppm

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.8 3.3 3.8 4.3 4.8 5.3 5.8

L og (F e ) ppm

Lo

g (

U)

pp

m NJ s amples

V A s amples

Figure 6. Bivariate Plot of Samples, Showing Instrumental Error Outliers

#47 #219

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Sample data were then adjusted in preparation for multivariate analysis. Because

79 out of the 114 samples (roughly 70%) had calcium concentrations over 1% (24 of the

114, or 21% had calcium concentrations 10% or greater) as well as the known presence

of shell tempering in many of the samples, all elemental concentrations were adjusted

using an equation developed via experimental research summarized by Cogswell, Neff,

and Glascock:

e’ = 106 e / (106 -2.5c) where e’ is the corrected concentration of a given element in ppm, e is the measured concentration of that element in ppm, and c is the concentration of elemental calcium in ppm. The gravimetric factor 2.5 compensates for the difference in the mass of calcium to the mass of calcium carbonate in the sample. [1998:64]

Doing this seemed to have little effect on the overall structure of the data during later

analyses. Because concentration of calcium and strontium were most likely to have been

affected by the presence of shell temper, these elements were removed from the data set

(Cogswell, et al., 1998:66).

All data were then logarithmically transformed (log base-10) and standardized

using the equation:

y i = (xi-xavg)/ s

where yi is the new element concentration, xi is the initial concentration, xavg is the

average of all initial concentrations for that element, and s is the standard deviation for

that element (Baxter 1994: 38). Baxter suggests that standardization can help to prevent

a few variables (elements) from overwhelming the variation displayed by multivariate

analyses such as principle components analysis (see below) (1994: 64). However, it also

has the potential to “push” separate groups closer together in multivariate analysis,

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making group differentiation potentially more difficult. In the case of this analysis, it was

determined that standardization improved overall interpretability of data.

A value of 0.001 was added to all data prior to log transformation to prevent

error outcomes for concentrations that were below the limits of detection. This value was

chosen because it was smaller than any actual value in the data set.

Many researchers suggest preliminary data analysis via hierarchical cluster

analysis. This technique attempts to group samples based on similarity or dissimilarity to

other samples, with the results often displayed using dendrograms. There are problems

with this method (discussed thoroughly in Baxter 1994: 154-184), and is therefore often

used as a preliminary step. Cluster analysis did not prove helpful in this analysis, and so

will not be discussed further.

Principle Components Analysis (PCA) was then performed using a variance-

covariance matrix. PCA is a statistical technique that takes a large number of variables

(in this case 45 elements) and attempts to group them into a smaller number of variables

accounting for the same variation. Graphing principle components against each other

allows one to examine patterns of variation more easily and more successfully than using

a series of bivariate plots. This is a standard procedure used by most researchers

analyzing chemical composition data.

In this study, PCA was able to express 80% of the variation in the dataset with

just eight variables, rather than using the 45 individual elements tested. A scree plot of

eigenvalue differences (Figure 7) of all principle components indicates that the first six

are significant according to methodology proposed by Baxter (1994: 59-62). As shown

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in Table 4 (below), the first six components account for over 70 % of the total variation,

while the first eight components account for 80% of the total variation.

Differences of Percent Variances vs. Principle Component Indices

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Principle Component Index

Dif

fere

nce o

f %

Vari

an

ces

Figure 7. Scree Plot of Eigenvalue Differences

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Table 4: Summary of Principle Components Eigenvalues, Percent Variance, and

Cumulative Percent Variance

Principle

Component

#

Eigenvalue %

Variance

Cumulative

% Variance

Principle

Component

#

Eigenvalue %

Variance

Cumulative

% Variance

1 14.5288 33.7879 33.7879 23 0.1923 0.4472 97.5914

2 6.6654 15.5009 49.2888 24 0.1846 0.4294 98.0208

3 3.8375 8.9244 58.2132 25 0.1735 0.4036 98.4244

4 2.8579 6.6463 64.8595 26 0.1438 0.3344 98.7588

5 2.1289 4.9508 69.8103 27 0.1219 0.2835 99.0424

6 1.8207 4.2342 74.0445 28 0.0993 0.2308 99.2732

7 1.4144 3.2892 77.3337 29 0.0813 0.1890 99.4622

8 1.2267 2.8528 80.1865 30 0.0520 0.1210 99.5832

9 1.1453 2.6634 82.8499 31 0.0415 0.0965 99.6797

10 0.8481 1.9723 84.8222 32 0.0326 0.0759 99.7556

11 0.7349 1.7091 86.5313 33 0.0232 0.0538 99.8095

12 0.6104 1.4194 87.9508 34 0.021 0.0489 99.8583

13 0.5841 1.3585 89.3093 35 0.0175 0.0407 99.8990

14 0.5543 1.2891 90.5983 36 0.0137 0.0318 99.9308

15 0.5143 1.1960 91.7944 37 0.0107 0.0250 99.9557

16 0.4800 1.1163 92.9107 38 0.0056 0.0131 99.9688

17 0.4406 1.0245 93.9352 39 0.0042 00097 99.9785

18 0.3723 0.8657 94.8009 40 0.0038 0.0087 99.9872

19 0.2932 0.6819 95.4828 41 0.0026 0.0061 99.9933

20 0.2662 0.6190 96.1018 42 0.0017 0.0040 99.9973

21 0.2394 0.5567 96.6586 43 0.0012 0.0027 100.000

22 0.2088 0.4856 97.1442

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Graphing the first two principle components against each other shows the

distribution of samples within multivariate space. These two components together allows

a spread accounting for roughly half of the variation found within the chemical

compositions of the samples to be easily examined (Figure 8). An eigenvector graph for

components 1 and 2 on the same axes (Figure 9) provides a graphical representation of

how different elements affect the spread of the samples. This graph is a visual

interpretation for the eigenvalue data presented in Table 4, above, and shows that PC1 is

positively affected by several rare earth elements (REEs), while PC2 is positively

affected by transition metals and negatively by Fe and Mg, among others. Understanding

how sample groups are differentiated by various elements can provide insight into

differences in the raw clay source composition. It is significant to note that PC1 is

strongly affected by trace elements (REEs) – if less sensitive instrumentation had been

used for analysis, this important variation may have been missed. The eigenvector and

sample data plots could actually be graphed together, but are depicted separately here for

clarity.

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Figure 8. Plot of Principle Components 1 and 2, with 90% confidence ellipses. Circles

represent Virginia samples, while triangles represent Abbott Farm samples.

Figure 9. Graphical Repesentation of Eigenvectors.

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The graph of PC 2 v. PC 1, as well as the following graphs of PCs 3-6, were

plotted using two initial groups, which lumped both Mockley and decorated samples

together: 1) samples from Virginia sites, and 2) samples from the Abbott Farm site, New

Jersey. I chose these groups for my initial PCA analysis in an attempt to understand

regional clay variation. The spread of samples therefore suggests that there are indeed

fundamental differences in the underlying clays, with Abbott Farm (and potentially other

Delaware River Valley) clays being characterized by slightly enriched concentrations of

rare earth elements. Qualitative analysis suggests that clays used to make vessels

recovered from Abbott Farm are less homogenous. This could be interpreted several

ways: as variation within the clays themselves, a greater number of potters and thus

greater variation in the clay “recipes” used, or evidence for the movement of vessels to

Abbott Farm from other production locales. Variation within the Virginia samples group

suggests that there is some variation of clays, and possible nonlocal vessels, but an

overall more homogenous group than the Abbott Farm samples.

Graphing principle components three and four against each other (Figure 10)

displays approximately 16% of the variation within the dataset, and is considerably less

informative than the previous plot . Plotting principle component six against component

five (Figure 11) provides even less clear information, and accounts for only 10% of the

total variation.

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Figure 10. Principle Components 3 and 4 plotted against each other with 90% group

confidence ellipses. Circles represent Virginia samples, while triangles represent Abbott

Farm Samples.

Figure 11. Principle Components 5 and 6 plotted against each other with 90% group

confidence ellipses. Circles represent Virginia samples, while triangles represent Abbott

Farm Samples.

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While examination of the graphs just presented may suggest little worth of

principle components three through six, a further calculation using this information

proves otherwise. Mahalanobis distance calculations with jackknifed probabilities using

the first six principle components reveals information about the group membership of

each sample. This technique (described in detail by Glascock 1992: 18-19, Baxter 1994:

80-82) examines the probability that samples belong or do not belong in two or more

predefined, or “predicted” groups. The two initial groups defined here were the same as

used in principle components analysis (1: samples recovered from sites in Virginia and 2:

samples from the Abbott Farm site, New Jersey). A summary of these reclassifications is

provided in Tables 5 and 6, below.

Table 5: Samples with Less than Ten or One Percent Probability of Belonging in

Predicted Group Based Mahalanobis Distance Calculations

Virginia

Samples <10% Virginia Samples < 1%

Abbott Farm

Samples <10%

Abbott Farm

Samples < 1%

21, 25, 29, 46, 55,

111, 117, 120 19, 22, 27, 41, 50 210, 213, 214 217, 23, 229

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Table 6: Redefined Groups Based on Mahalanobis Distance Calculations

Virginia Core

Group

Abbott Farm Core

Group

Abbott Farm

Samples with

“Virginia Clay”

Signature

Virginia Samples

with “Abbott Farm

Clay” Signature

Outliers from All

Defined Groups

1,2,3,4,5,6,10,11,

12,13, 15,16,18, 20,

23,24,26,28,31-40,

42,43, 48,49, 51-54,

56,59-64, 100-104,

105-107, 109, 110,

112-116, 118, 119

201-209, 211,

212, 215, 216,

218, 220-222,

224-227, 230-232

228 4, 17, 30, 44, 45,

46, 57, 58, 104,

108, 111, 117

19, 21, 22,25, 27,

29,41, 50, 55, 120,

210, 213, 214,

217, 223, 229

An arbitrary value of 10% probability was chosen as a cutoff point for group

membership. This means that samples with less than 10% probability of belonging in a

given group were redefined as being outliers from that group. If a sample had less than

10% probability of belonging to one group but greater than 10% probability of belonging

in the other group, it was reclassified accordingly. Samples with less than 10%

probability of group membership for both groups were reclassified as outliers. This 10%

cut-off value could be considered to be on the conservative side in that it may exclude

some true group members, but it was felt that this value would minimize this risk while

maximizing the exclusion of probable outliers.

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Figure 12. Reclassified groups displayed via Principle Components 1 and 2 with 90% confidence ellipses.

Key: solid triangles =Abbott Farm Core Group; Hollow circles= Maycock’s Point Core Group; Solid Circle=

Abbott Farm sample with “Virginia Clay” Signature; Hollow Triangles= Virginia Samples with “Abbott Farm

Clay” Signatures; Pluses= Statistical Outliers.

Mahalanobis distance calculations suggest several samples are outliers (possibly

evidence of imported ceramics) while other ceramics may have been moved regionally.

After identifying outliers and assessing the validity of the initial groups via Mahalanobis

distance calculations, the new groups were re-graphed in multivariate space using

principle components 1 and 2. (Figure 12, above). One Mockley sample (#228) from

Abbott Farm has been grouped with the “Virginia clay” group, representing the

possibility that utilitarian wares were transferred from the Virginia Coastal Plain to the

Abbott Farm site. There are also a few samples from the Virginia sites in this study that

have been reclassified as having chemical signatures characteristic of New Jersey-made

ceramics. A new group was created to separate them from other samples. Four of the

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twelve samples in this group, or one-third, are decorated samples. Two of these, samples

#4 and #17 from Maycock’s Point (44PG40), are both characterized by incised lines and

reed punctations ( see for example Figure 4), and are not considered “typical” Abbott

Zoned ware. The other two decorated samples in this are sample #104 from the Big

Island site (44NK5) and sample #111 from the Bartlett site (44NK166). Sample #104 is

considered a standard example of Abbott Zoned Incised—it was borrowed from

Virginia’s Department of Historic Resource’s study collection. Sample #111 is a small,

thin rim sherd with cross-hatched incisions, although the presence or absence of zoning is

undeterminable. That the two Maycock’s Point samples are not typical Abbott Zoned

ceramics leads me to believe that they may have originated from undersampled clay

sources or that they represent the limitations of this statistical analysis to separate the two

regions’ clays.

The Mockley that was reclassified into this group was recovered from Maycock’s

Point (44PG40), the Big Island site (44NK5), and the Irwin site (44PG4). These sherds

may represent the movement of vessels from the north to the Virginia Coastal Plain, or

they could indicate the use of an alternate clay source not identified by other samples in

this analysis. That these reclassified samples were recovered from all Virginia sites in

this project suggest that vessel movement did occur, although I am hesitant to

conclusively state what kind of movement occurred. Further analysis of regional

Mockley samples could resolve this issue.

Mahalanobis distance calculations classified sample #19, an Abbott Zoned Incised

sample recovered from Maycock’s Point, as an outlier. This sherd exhibits a chemical

signature unlike the others analyzed. The different chemical signature does not appear to

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be due to any temper ablation, as the samples that were temper-ablated were skewed in a

different and more extreme manner. Also, this sherd exhibits an unusually slick surface,

and appears to have been cordmarked, smoothed over while very wet, and then incised

above the cordmarking. Therefore, it is quite possible that this sample represents an

otherwise unknown source area and provides evidence for the importation of ceramics at

Maycock’s Point. Sample #120, an outlier from the Irwin site (44PG4), is most likely

representative of later Chickahominy Ware. This hints at the possibility for changes in

processing methods and the clay sources used through time, or changing patterns of

movement, although little can be said from one sample.

While data set sizes for the Virginia sites in this study other than Maycock’s Point

are too small to be statistically significant individually, they do appear to exhibit

chemical signatures overall similar to each other (see Figure 13, below). While data sets

from 44KQ6 and 44NK166 show rather homogenous chemical signatures for each site,

samples from 44NK5 and 44PG4 are comparatively dispersed in nature. The reason for

this dispersal is unknown, but could be due to: a) distortion from small data set size, b)

error in sampling strategy, or c) evidence of higher diversity in clays used or possible

movement of ceramics. This uncertainty would best be answered by a larger data set for

these locations. As indicated in the Virginia versus Abbott Farm analysis, there is a

possibility of Mockley vessel movement among these sites.

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Figure 23. PCA of Virginia Samples Only By Site.

Key: Hollow circles= 44PG40; Inverted Triangles= 44PG4;

Solid Triangles =44KQ6; Squares= 44NK5; Stars=44NK166.

Results of the original principle components analysis indicated that there was

little if any discernible chemical difference between Mockley and decorated ceramics at

Maycock’s Point. A second PCA, investigating only the Maycock’s Point samples, was

conducted to examine this matter further (Figure 14). Mahalanobis distance calculations

using jackknifed probabilities of these principle components indicates no significant

correlation between ware type and chemical signature, further suggesting little to no

difference in clay sources used. Sample sizes for the other Virginia sites in this study

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prevent similar by-site analyses.

Figure 14. PCA of Maycock's Point Samples with 90% confidence ellipses. Circles represent

Mockley samples, while triangles indicate decorated samples.

VIII. Results and Implications

Results

Abbott Zoned ceramics from Maycock’s Point were mostly locally-produced

vessels, rather than a product of continued, long-distance trade alliances. Materials

characterization analysis has also indicated that these vessels were produced from clay

sources that were identical or similar to clays used to produce the utilitarian Mockley

samples analyzed. Vessel wall thickness measurements for these samples also indicate

clay differences in New Jersey and Virginia and that potters adjusted vessel wall

thickness to accommodate clay consistencies. That Mockley and decorated ceramics from

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the Virginia sites studied here tend to have similar chemical signatures suggests that

potters did not differentiate clay sources used for the two wares, but perhaps did refine

these clays differently in preparation for vessel manufacture. This indicates, as

Rockman(1993:3) suggested previously, that the production of decorated vessels was

differentiated from utilitarian vessel production beginning with the clay refining process.

Samples from the Abbott Farm site suggest that potters either utilized more

heterogeneous clays in the manufacture of Abbott Zoned ceramics there, or the area’s

clays are more variable in their chemical composition than those in coastal Virginia. The

majority of the Abbott Zoned ceramics analyzed were probably produced and discarded

on a site-by-site basis, thus making them a largely stationary good. However, this

analysis has also provided evidence for the movement of vessels between the Virginia

Coastal Plain and the Delaware River Valley, as well as the presence of vessels produced

from unknown clay sources. Though these vessels represent outliers or unusual cases in

the data set, they also point toward important, long-distance social connections.

Furthermore, there is some indication that utilitarian Mockley vessels were being

transported both within the Virginia Coastal Plain and between Virginia and the

Delaware River Valley, fitting for a ware considered to be an “unrestricted good.”

Finally, the distribution of samples from five Virginia sites suggests that clays from

major rivers in Virginia could be discernible from each other with larger data set sizes.

Implications

The results of this analysis provide new information with which to better

understand the lives of late Middle Woodland peoples of the Middle Atlantic Region. Not

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only do these data have ramifications for interpreting the social roles and use of Abbott

Zoned ceramics at individual sites, but also within the Virginia Coastal Plain and

throughout the Middle Atlantic Region as a whole.

The Melanesian Big Man model put forth by Marshall Sahlins and employed by

some Middle Atlantic archaeologists (reviewed in a previous chapter) as an analog for

Middle Woodland peoples focuses on individual leaders and their ability to manipulate

resources and people for largely self-serving goals. Hantman and Gold (2002) suggest

that Big Men in the Middle Atlantic Region used “restricted goods” to build alliances and

gain prestige. The evidence gathered for this study raises some serious challenges to this

model. An alternative interpretation is proposed below.

Big Men—Marriage Alliances?

My materials characterization analysis indicates that Abbott Zoned Incised

vessels recovered from Virginia sites were largely locally-produced in the Virginia

Coastal Plain. This result implies that Big Men could not have been acquiring this ware

through focused, long-distance exchange. How, then, can we explain the presence and

persistence of these vessels across time and space? If one views the evidence in terms of

Big Men alliance-making and gift-exchange, the presence of these pots could be a by-

product of alliance-formation through intermarriage. Thus, the archaeological record

would represent not the processes of exotic material good acquisition, but products of

alliances, intermarriage, and resulting population movements (cf. Levi-Strauss 1969).

Locally-produced versions of Abbott Zoned Incised ceramics may, in fact, express social

practices that reinforced social identity. The use of traditional vessels, perhaps in

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ritualized feasting, heightens the expression and reinforcement of ideas related to

collective identities. It should be noted that marriage-alliances among regional Big Men

are not the only possible ways in which a group of people could have made their way to

Virginia from more northern environs. The persistence of Abbott Zoned in the Coastal

Plain of Virginia through time may then be viewed as maintenance of both identity and

affiliation with the North (ideologically or literally).

An Alternative Interpretation: Cooperative Feasting

Scholars such as Hantman and Gold (2002) have focused on the ways in which

the manipulation of exotic goods and surplus foods by enterprising individuals could

have created cycling systems of inequality and social regimes in the Middle Atlantic

Region. An alternative interpretation of the archaeological record that I would like to

offer focuses on the maintenance of identity and reinforcement of group solidarity

through seasonally-restricted and ritually-defined feasting events.

First, I suggest that the archaeological record supports the idea that feasting ---

large food consumption events involving large groups of people--- did indeed occur at

Maycock’s Point. Though feasting at Maycock’s Point may have involved the use of

nonlocal or unusual goods, such events were ultimately communal (cooperative) rather

than competitive events. Instead of representing prestige items, Abbott Zoned vessels

may instead be understood as products of the reinforcement and display of identity. This

interpretation provides a means of understanding the results of my materials

characterization analysis and the peculiarities of Abbott Zoned Incised ceramic’s

distribution in the Virginia Coastal Plain.

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Archaeologists have long suggested that Abbott Zoned Incised vessels may have

played a role in feasting events (e.g., Stewart 1998a: 176). Researchers have suggested

that vessel form is related to the intended function (Braun 1983, Rice 1987: 241).

Ongoing research by Joshua Duncan, a graduate student at William and Mary, shows that

AZI vessels from Maycock’s Point seem to be mostly serving vessel-sized (i.e. small

bowls), rather than cooking or storage (i.e. large to medium-sized jars) (personal

communication, 2008). That Abbott Zoned ceramics are recovered from riverine and

estuarine sites but not more interior sites suggests that they functioned in feasting

associated with the harvesting of large amounts of aquatic resources and the gathering of

people for this harvesting (Stewart 1998a: 171). Such events would have been occasions

of multi-group interaction and cultural, material, and perhaps even spousal exchange.

Feasting would have provided a venue for alliance-building and negotiation of authority

of individuals such as competing Big Men. Intricately-decorated serving vessels such as

Abbott Zoned Incised pottery would have provided a highly-visible display of social

identity for its users. Due to its use over multiple centuries and stratigraphic layers at

Maycock’s Point, I believe this identity was less-linked to a local Big Man than to a

distinct cultural identity with northern relatives (and ancestors). The political fortunes of

big men, in Sahlins’ (1963) model, fluctuate continuously and rarely lead to permanent,

institutionalized forms of hierarchy. The social identities of hunter-gatherer communities,

by contrast, may involve the use of ceramics decorated in very specific ways that lasted

for centuries. In his studies of Archaic peoples in the Southeast, Kenneth Sassaman has

argued that large, elaborate bannerstones may have been used “to assert identity in

resistance to assimilation” (2005: 87).

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Argument for solidarity rather than competitive feasting:

Archaeologists attempting to understand feasting have defined multiple “types” of

feasting in order to make inferences about the participants. Two types of feasting are

competitive and cooperative. Hayden considers competitive feasting an activity done for

economic gain, while cooperative feasting serves purposes of reciprocity, support, and

solidarity (2001: 38). Cooperative feasting may also be considered communal feasting.

Hayden employs the term “solidarity feasts” to describe communal hunter-gatherer

events at which participants provide supplies equally and little effort is made to procure

special foods or enhance individual status (2001: 50). Potter states that among the Zuni,

competitive feasts are unregulated and large, while ritually-regulated feasts, occurring at

prescribed times, may involve more individuals but be less geared to any enhancement of

individual status (2000: 474). He also notes that communal feasts among both

contemporary and prehistoric Southwest Native Americans have been shown to utilize

non-specialized and non-monopolized food resources (Potter 2000: 476,477).

Furthermore, he states that:

societies with seasonally structured subsistence abundances may be restricted to feasting in the contexts of seasonally structured ritual feasts. This is especially the case in the context of the unpredictable yields of hunting and gathering and dry-farm agriculture. [Potter 2000: 474]

Thus, one would expect feasting based on ritual or ceremonial events to take advantage

of available food resources, occur during specific times of year, and reinforce group

solidarity and membership identity. This fits the archaeological data from Maycock’s

Point well: a large supply of seasonally-available fish and shellfish, and the presence of

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64

Abbott Zoned vessels. The lack of vessel movement further suggests that they may have

been intricately-related to seasonally (and therefore subsistence method) ritual feasting.

Opperman’s (1992: 91) analysis of faunal remains at Maycock’s Point during the Middle

Woodland indicates that the site was used most extensively during warm seasons and was

possibly occupied by a small number of people year-round. Barber and Madden’s

research (2006: 79) supports a small year-round occupation with possible use as a “task-

force base camp” in the spring.

The persistence of Abbott Zoned ceramics through multiple centuries in both the

Delaware River Valley and the Virginia Coastal Plain raises questions about its

connections to temporary Big Men. That AZI was locally-produced in Virginia means

that these Big Men were not importing them as exotic “restricted goods.” Even if these

vessels were “restricted goods,” it seems highly unlikely that Big Men and their

supporters would be able to restrict the ability to recreate or mimic highly visible designs

on pottery, especially at sites of multi-group aggregation. The persistence of this ware

through time suggests cultural continuity of social identity. The designs on Abbott Zoned

vessels could be thought of in terms of a grammar that is not susceptible to changes in

leadership. Due to the conservative nature of these designs it seems more likely that they

were a product of their function as indicative of social identity markers of a band, clan or

other group. Stewart once suggested that Abbott Zoned vessels could have functioned to

“express solidarity among Algonquian peoples” (1998a: 176). If Abbott Zoned ware was

a product of a specific social group, its persistence could be due to important symbolic

meaning among users in the display and reinforcement of those users’ identities as

members of a particular group or affiliation with northern kin and ancestors. The limited

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65

occurrence of these vessels in the Virginia Coastal Plain and their low concentrations at

these sites indicates that this was indeed a “restricted good,” but perhaps in terms other

than Hantman and Gold (2002) have suggested. As highly-visible marks of social

identity, vessel use could have been culturally-restricted to members of a group. That

there is a greater abundance of these vessels in the Delaware and Hudson River Valleys,

and comparatively little in the Virginia Coastal Plain, indicates that there were fewer

members of this group residing in Virginia. The persistence of Abbott Zoned Incised

vessels for multiple centuries in the Virginia Coastal Plain may be an indication that the

makers and users of these vessels maintained a distinct identity and perhaps remained

connected to others in the north by reconstructing their traditional social practices and

material culture. The presence of AZI at multiple sites in Virginia and in varying

quantities is also interesting to consider. The relatively large quantities of AZI at the

Maycock’s Point/Hatch site area suggest that it could have been a locus or preferred place

of activity. Smaller amounts elsewhere indicate that events or processes associated with

AZI pottery were not limited to one place but could be created and used as needed. That

these vessels are not found with any frequency on interior or “winter” sites suggests their

innate-connection to time of year and subsistence activities.

IX. Conclusion

This project set out to determine the origin of Abbott Zoned Incised (AZI) in the

Virginia Coastal Plain during the late Middle Woodland. LA-ICP-MS analysis of 114

AZI and Mockley samples from five Virginia sites and the Abbott Farm site (New Jersey)

has shown that AZI was a largely locally-produced good at the Virginia sites studied.

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66

Differences in vessel wall thickness support this interpretation, as does previous research

by Rockman (1993). The elaborate decorations on these vessels, as well as their

persistence through time, suggest their use in highly-visible situations. While some

scholars have argued that Virginia’s Abbott Zoned ceramics are evidence of focused,

long-distance exchange between regional Big Men, the results of this study suggest that

archaeologists need to alter these interpretations or at least critically re-examine them.

Instead, I have suggested the possibility of marriage-alliances among Big Men.

Furthermore, I have proposed that Abbott Zoned ceramics were used at communal

feasting events related to seasonally-restricted ceremony/rituals. Therefore they served to

reinforce group membership and maintain connections to kin and ancestors from the

north in a highly-charged public and ceremonial setting.

This analysis has brought up several questions, as well as alerted me to the need

or utility of certain areas of research. First, a detailed stylistic analysis of sherds from

Maycock’s Point and the Abbott Farm would greatly help to understand the variation of

Abbott Zoned ceramics as well as other unusual ceramics at Maycock’s Point, and may

aid in general knowledge of classification. This has also been suggested by Stewart

(1998b: 242). The success of this project has shown the potential for provenience

analysis of Virginia Coastal Plain ceramics. Given adequate sample size, it seems

reasonable to believe that clay sources would be identifiable at least by river, and most

likely in greater detail. A more in-depth provenience analysis of Virginia Coastal Plain

Mockley could also begin to get at questions of settlement patterns in the area.

Furthermore, more understanding of the details of Middle Woodland settlement and

subsistence systems is needed. Lastly, this analysis has shown the need for constant

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67

critical re-examination of older theoretical models in light of more recently developed

data and theories.

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Website <http://www.csulb.edu/programs/iirmes> Accessed on 9 May 2007. University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) Archaeometry Website <http://archaeometry.missouri.edu> Accessed on 9 May 2007. Abbott, David R. 2000 Ceramics and Community Organization Among the Hohokam. Tuscon:

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Barber, Michael B, and Michael J. Madden. 2006 The Maycock’s Point (44PG40) Beach Collection: The Implications of Controlled

Survey in a Disturbed Context or Time and Tide Wait for No Man. Quarterly Bulletin of the Archeological Society of Virginia. 61(2): 61-81.

Baxter, M. J. 1994 Exploratory Multivariate Analysis in Archaeology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh

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and Arthur S. Keene. New York: Academic Press. Buxeda i Garrigos, J.; Kilikoglou, V.; and P.M. Day. 2001 Chemical and Mineralogical Alteration of Ceramics from a Late Bronze Age Kiln

at Kommos, Crete: The Effect on the Formation of a Reference Group. Archaeometry. 43(3): 349-371.

Cavallo, John A. 1984 Fish, Fires, and Foresight: Middle Woodland Economic Adaptations in the Abbott

Farm National Landmark. North American Archaeologist. 5 (2): 111-138. Cochrane, Ethan E., and Hector Neff. 2006 Investigating Compositional Diversity Among Fijian Ceramics with Laser

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Cogswell, James W., Hector Neff, and Michael D. Glascock. 1996 The Effect of Firing Temperature on the Elemental Characterization of Pottery.

Journal of Archaeological Science 23:283-287. 1998 Analysis of Shell-Tempered Pottery Replicates: Implications for Provenance

Studies.American Antiquity 63(1): 63-72. Cross, Dorothy. 1956 The Archaeology of New Jersey, Volume 2: The Abbott Farm Site. Trenton:

Archaeological Society of New Jersey and New Jersey State Museum. Custer, Jay F. 1984 Delaware Prehistoric Archaeology: An Ecological Approach. Newark: University

of Delaware Press. Drennan, Robert D. 1996 Statistics for Archaeologists: A Commonsense Approach. New York: Plenum

Press. Egloff, Keith T. and Stephen R. Potter 1982 Indian Ceramics from Coastal Plain Virginia. Archaeology of Eastern North

America. 10: 95-117. Evans, Clifford 1955 A Ceramic Study of Virginia Archeology. With appendix, An analysis of

projectile points and large blades, by C.G. Holland. Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin, no 160.

Fiedel, Stuart J. 1987 Algonquian Origins: A Problem in Archeological-Linguistic Correlation.

Archaeology of Eastern North America. 15: 1-11. Glascock, Michael D. 1992 Characterization of Archaeological Ceramics at MURR by Neutron Activation

Analysis and Multivariate Statistics. in Chemical Characterization of Ceramic Pastes in Archaeology. Ed By H. Neff. Madison, WI: Prehistory Press. pp 11-26.

Glascock, Michael D., and Hector Neff. 2003 Neutron Activation Analysis and Provenance Research in Archaeology.

Measurement of Science and Technology 14: 1516-1526. Gregory, Leverette B. 1983 Zoned Pottery from the Hatch Site (44PG51), Prince George Co, VA. The

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Hantman, Jeffrey and D. Gold. 2002 The Woodland in the Middle Atlantic: Ranking and Dynamic Political Stability.

in The Woodland Southeast, ed. by D. Anderson and R. Mainfort, University of Alabama Press, pp.270-291.

Hayden, Brian 2001 Fabulous Feasts: A Prolegomenon to the Importance of Feasting. in Feasts:

Archaeological and Ethnographic Perspectives on Food, Politics, and Power. ed. by Michael Dietler and Brian Hayden. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian. pp. 23-64.

Hodge, Mary G., Hector Neff, M. James Blackman, and Leah D. Minc 1992 A Compositional Perspective on Ceramic Production in the Aztec Empire. in

Chemical Characterization of Ceramic Pastes in Archaeology. Ed By H. Neff. Madison, WI: Prehistory Press. pp 203-220.

Johnson, William C. and D. Scott Speedy 1992 Cultural Continuity and Change in the Middle and Late Woodland Periods in the

Upper James Estuary, Prince George County, Virginia. Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology. 8: 91-106.

Kennett, Douglas J., Sachiko Sakai, Hector Neff, Richard Gossett, and Daniel O Larson 2002 Compositional Characterization of Prehistoric Ceramics: A New Approach.

Journal of Archaeological Science. 29: 443-455. Klein, Michael. 1990 The Potential of X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Prehistoric Ceramics in the

Middle Atlantic Region: An Analysis of the Clay Mineralogy, Firing Temperature, and Clay Source of Sherds from Virginia. Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology. 6: 15-30.

1994 Results of a Recent Radiocarbon Dating Project in Virginia. Quarterly Bulletin of

the Archaeological Society of Virginia 49(1):17-24. Larson, Daniel O.; Sakai, Sachiko; Neff, Hector. 2005 Laser Ablation- Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

as a Bulk Chemical Characterization Technique: Comparison of LA-ICP-MS, Digestion ICP-MS, and INAA Data on Virgin Branch Anasazi Ceramics. in Laser Ablation-ICP-MS in Archaeological Research, Ed. by Robert Speakman and Hector Neff. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 95-102

Levi-Strauss, Claude 1969 The Elementary Structures of Kinship. translated. by J. Bell and J. von Sturmer.

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Luckenbach, Alvin H., Wayne E. Clark, and Richard S. Levy 1987 Rethinking Cultural Stability in Eastern North American Prehistory: Linguistic

Evidence from Eastern Algonquian. Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology. 3: 1-33.

MacCord, Howard A. 1964 The Irwin Site, Prince George County, Virginia. Quarterly Bulletin of the

Archeological Society of Virginia. 19(2): 37-42. Maritan, L, C. Mazzoli, V. Michielin, D. Morandi Bonacossi, M. Luciani, and G.Molin. 2005 The Provenance and Production Technology of Bronze Age and Iron Age Pottery

from Mishrifeh/Qatna (Syria). Archaeometry 47(4): 723-744. McLearen, Douglas 1992 Virginia’s Middle Woodland Period: A Regional Perspective. In Middle and Late

Woodland Research in Virginia: A Synthesis. Ed by Theodore R. Reinhart and Mary Ellen Hodges. Special Publication No. 29 of the Archaeological Society of Virginia. pp. 39-63.

Opperman, Antony F. 1980 A Study of Prehistoric Ceramics from Maycock’s Point, Prince George Co, VA.

Senior Thesis. 1992 Middle Woodland Subsistence at Maycocks’ Point (44PG40) Prince George

County, Virginia. Master’s Thesis. University of Tenessee, Knoxville. Pollak, Janet S. 1971 The Abbott Phase: A Hopewellian Manifestation in the Delaware Valley.

Master’s Thesis, Dept. Anthropology, Temple University, Philadelphia. Potter, James M. 2000 Pots, Parties, and Politics: Communal Feasting in the American Southwest.

American Antiquity. 65(3): 471-492. Potter, Stephen. 1993 Commoners, Tribute, and Chiefs: The Development of Algonquian Culture in the

Potomac Valley. UP VA: Charlottesville. Rice, Prudence R. 1987 Pottery Analysis: A Sourcebook. Chicago:University of Chicago Press. Rockman, Marcia H. 1993 Investigation of Zoned Incised Ceramics of the Later Middle Woodland Period by

Means of Petrographic Analysis. Honors Thesis at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

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Sahlins, Marshall 1963 Poor Man, Rich Man, Big Man, Chief: Political Types in Melanesia and Polynesia.

Comparative Studies in Society and History 5: 285-303. Sassaman, Kenneth 2005 Structure and Practice in the Archaic Southeast. In North American Archaeology.

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Detect Post-Depositional Alterations in Archaeological Pottery. Archaeometry. 48(2): 237-251.

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Atlantic Archaeology. 14: 1-12. Thurman, Melburn D. 1978 The “Hopewellian” Occupation of the Abbott Farm: A Demurrer Archaeology of

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Appendix A. Sample Context Information

Sample # Site Context Information Comments Storage Info

1 44PG40 32K2 Decorated WM

2 44PG40 32K2 Decorated WM

3 44PG40 32K2 Decorated WM

4 44PG40 32K1; zone 1, blackwash Decorated WM

5 44PG40 32K1; zone 1, blackwash Decorated WM

6 44PG40 32R4 Decorated WM

7 44PG40 32R4 Decorated WM

10 44PG40 68U2 Decorated WM

11 44PG40 68N4 Decorated WM

12 44PG40 32R2 Decorated WM

13 44PG40 32R2 Decorated WM

15 44PG40 68U2, feat. 17 Decorated WM

16 44PG40 68U2, feat. 17 Decorated WM

17 44PG40 32Q2 Decorated WM

18 44PG40 68U2, feat. 17 Decorated WM

19 44PG40 32Q3 Decorated WM

20 44PG40 no context Decorated WM

21 44PG40 no context Decorated WM

22 44PG40 51Z8 Decorated WM

23 44PG40 67J, feat 80 Decorated WM

24 44PG40 no context, erosion Decorated WM

25 44PG40 A2A1 Mockley; RTS DHR

26 44PG40 A2A1 Mockley; RTS DHR

27 44PG40 A3B1 Mockley; RTS DHR

28 44PG40 A2A1 Mockley; RTS DHR

29 44PG40 A3B1 Mockley; RTS DHR

30 44PG40 A3B1 Mockley; RTS DHR

31 44PG40 A2A1 Mockley; RTS DHR

32 44PG40 A3B1 Mockley; RTS DHR

33 44PG40 A3B1 Decorated; RTS DHR

34 44PG40 A2A1 Decorated; RTS DHR

35 44PG40 A3B1 Decorated; RTS DHR

36 44PG40 A2A1 Decorated; RTS DHR

37 44PG40 32K2 Mockley WM

38 44PG40 32K2 Mockley WM

39 44PG40 32K2 Mockley WM

40 44PG40 32K2 Mockley WM

41 44PG40 32Q2 Mockley WM

42 44PG40 32Q2 Mockley WM

43 44PG40 32Q2 Mockley WM

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75

Sample # Site Context Information Comments Storage Info

44 44PG40 32Q2 Mockley WM

45 44PG40 32R4 Mockley WM

46 44PG40 32R4 Mockley WM

47 44PG40 32R4 Mockley WM

48 44PG40 32R4 Mockley WM

49 44PG40 32Q3 Mockley WM

50 44PG40 32Q3 Mockley WM

51 44PG40 32Q3 Mockley WM

52 44PG40 32R2 Mockley WM

53 44PG40 32R2 Mockley WM

54 44PG40 32R2 Mockley WM

55 44PG40 32R2 Mockley WM

56 44PG40 32R2 Mockley WM

57 44PG40 68N4A Mockley WM

58 44PG40 68N4A Mockley WM

59 44PG40 68U2 Mockley WM

60 44PG40 68U2 Mockley WM

61 44PG40 32K1 Mockley WM

62 44PG40 32K1 Mockley WM

63 44PG40 67J, feat. 80 Mockley WM

64 44PG40 67J, feat. 80 Mockley WM

100 44KQ6 Square 35 level 2 Decorated DHR

101 44KQ6 Square 35 level 2 Mockley DHR

102 44KQ6 Square 35 level 2 Mockley DHR

103 44KQ6 Square 35, Level 2 Mockley DHR

104 44NK5 no context Decorated DHR

105 44NK5 no context Mockley DHR

106 44NK5 no context Mockley DHR

107 44NK5 no context Mockley DHR

108 44NK5 no context Mockley DHR

109 44NK166 1A-S Decorated DHR

110 44NK166 surface Decorated DHR

111 44NK166 surface Decorated DHR

112 44NK166 N25E26 C1 Decorated DHR

113 44NK166 N25E26 C1 Mockley DHR

114 44NK166 N25E26 C1 Mockley DHR

115 44PG4 surface and PZ over feats 30, 31 Mockley DHR

116 44PG4 Feat. 30 Mockley DHR

117 44PG4 surface and PZ over feats 30, 31 Mockley DHR

118 44PG4 Feat. 30 Mockley DHR

119 44PG4 Feat. 30 Mockley DHR

120 44PG4 Feat. 30 Decorated DHR

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76

Sample # Site Context Information Comments Storage Info

201 AF 1-#, Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

202 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

203 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

204 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

205 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

206 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

207 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

208 AF Exc. 14, 5R3, pit 10 Decorated NJSM

209 AF Exc. 14, 5R3, pit 10 Mockley NJSM

210 AF Exc. 14, 5R3, pit 10 Mockley NJSM

211 AF 5R2 Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

212 AF 5R2 Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

213 AF 5R2 Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

214 AF 5R2 Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

215 AF 5R2 Humus 3 Mockley NJSM

216 AF Exc. 14, 5R4 and 5R5 pit 16 Decorated NJSM

217 AF Exc. 14, 5R4 and 5R5 pit 16 Mockley NJSM

218 AF Exc. 14, 5R4 and 5R5 pit 16 Mockley NJSM

219 AF Exc. 14, Humus 3 Decorated NJSM

220 AF Exc. 14, Humus 2 Decorated NJSM

221 AF Exc. 14, 25R1 Mockley;GLP048 NJSM

222 AF Exc. 14, 15R8

Mockley;

GLP094 NJSM

223 AF Exc. 14,20L2/20R12 Mockley; GLPxxx NJSM

224 AF Exc. 14, 20R3, Pit 23

Mockley;

GLP092 NJSM

225 AF Exc. 14, 35L5 to 35R12

Mockley;

GLP117 NJSM

226 AF Exc. 14, 15R8

Mockley;

GLP096 NJSM

227 AF Exc. 14, 15R1

Mockley;

GLP091 NJSM

228 AF Exc. 14, 35L5 to 35R12

Mockley;

GLP116 NJSM

229 AF Exc. 14, 40L2 to 40R12

Mockley;

GLP119 NJSM

230 AF Exc. 14, 35L3 through 35R8

Decorated;

GLP107 NJSM

231 AF Exc. 14, 25R4

Mockley;

GLP101 NJSM

232 AF Exc. 14, 20L2/ 20R12

Decorated;

GLP108 NJSM

Key: AF=Abbott Farm site; RTS= Rockman (1993) Thin Section; GLP = George Pevarnik NAA analysis identifiers; WM= William and Mary; DHR= Virginia Department of Historic Resources; NJSM= New Jersey State Museum

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77

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7.7

7.3

5

7.4

7.5

7.6

7.5

1

19

4.2

2

0.8

2

4.6

3

0.5

1

7.8

8.9

7.9

7.7

6

7.2

7.9

12

20

4.4

0.3

8

3.7

-

7.6

7.8

7.6

8

7.8

7.7

6

21

5.2

3

1.8

9

5.2

4

1.0

8

5.4

5.8

1

5.9

6.3

6.7

6.0

22

22

3.2

0.5

4.8

1.2

7.4

6

7.6

6.7

6

6.6

6.7

9

7.0

42

23

2.5

0.8

4.1

0.7

6.6

6.9

6.8

6.6

7.9

1

6.9

62

24

5.2

9

4.8

6

4.9

7

1.0

9

5.8

5

5.2

7

6.2

8

5.2

2

5.1

4

5.5

52

25

4.8

5

1.7

4.4

1.0

7

6.2

6.9

7.5

6.8

6.7

6.8

2

26

4.6

0.2

6

2.1

0.2

6.6

6.2

5.7

6.3

6.5

6.2

6

27

3.1

1.2

7

2.6

-

1.3

1.4

1.1

1.2

1.2

5

1.2

5

28

4.8

0.3

2.9

0.3

6

9

9.4

8.7

8.8

9

8.9

8

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file

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mm

) T

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(cm

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2.1

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- 2.5

3

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7.3

7.3

7.4

7.5

7.3

4

30

4.5

0.7

6

4.2

-

7.3

7.2

7.4

7.5

7

7.2

8

31

3.4

0.2

7

2.9

0.2

5

8.9

10

8.5

8.5

9

8.9

8

32

2.9

0.5

3

2.4

0.5

1

8.9

9.2

8.9

9

8.7

8.9

4

33

2

- 1.1

-

4.4

4.1

5

4.7

4.3

4.5

34

1.9

9

- 2.1

0.3

5

6.4

6.2

6.8

6.5

6.8

6.5

4

35

1.8

-

1.9

-

8.2

8.5

8.2

9.4

8.5

8.5

6

36

1.4

-

2.6

0.4

2

5.6

5.6

5.7

6

5.5

5.6

8

37

4.2

0.8

4

4.8

1.6

7

7.8

8.4

7.9

7.9

7.5

7.9

38

5.9

1.1

1

4

1.1

2

7.3

9

7.8

8.1

7.8

8

39

3.2

0.8

2

- 6.4

5.8

4

6

6.4

6.8

6.2

88

40

4.5

3.4

4

3.8

1.2

3

8.6

9

8.3

8.9

10.6

9.0

8

41

5.2

2.0

4

1.8

-

5.8

6

6.7

5.7

6.4

6.1

2

42

4.9

1

4

1

11.6

10.6

10.8

9.1

10.9

10.6

43

3.3

1.3

2.3

-

7.7

7.5

7.8

7.5

7.6

7.6

2

44

4.6

1.6

4

4.3

1.6

7

7.2

6.4

6.3

6.9

7

6.7

6

45

4.2

0.6

4

3.2

-

7.3

5.9

7.5

7

7

6.9

4

46

4.2

1.2

4

3.2

0.7

7

7.6

6.9

6.3

7.9

7.1

4

47

4

0.4

2

4.4

0.2

7.7

7.2

6.7

6.5

6.9

7

48

4.1

0.3

6

4

0.2

6

8.9

8.1

8.6

9.8

8.7

8.8

2

49

3.8

0.3

3.3

0.3

7.8

7.3

7.5

7.7

7.4

7.5

4

50

2.8

-

2.6

0.4

7.8

9.1

8.4

7.6

8.1

8.2

51

4.4

1.4

3.1

0.6

6.8

6.9

6.9

7.1

6.6

6.8

6

52

4.9

1.4

4.4

0.9

8.8

8.2

6.6

8.2

9.4

8.2

4

53

4.3

1.3

3.1

1.2

9.8

8

9.8

8.6

8.9

9.0

2

Page 81: The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late ...

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L.

(fro

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mm

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4

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2.8

0.6

8.6

8.8

7.6

7.8

9.2

8.4

55

4.7

0.6

4.7

0.7

6

7

7.1

6

5.7

6.3

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56

5.1

0.7

4.4

0.9

8.4

9.5

9

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7.9

8.5

6

57

2.7

8

0.7

1

1.6

4

- 4.6

5.0

5

4.7

4

4.3

3.6

4.4

58

58

4.1

4

0.6

4

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8.2

4

8.3

6

7.8

6

8.4

8.4

12

59

2.9

5

0.4

9

1.8

7

- 6.5

5

6.5

3

6.7

2

6.1

7

5.6

6.3

14

60

3.6

9

1

3.7

3

0.7

6

8.5

5

7.6

5

7.6

7

7.2

5

7.9

8

7.8

2

61

5.6

1.2

2.7

5

0.2

7

7.4

9

7

8.4

4

6.7

9

6.5

8

7.2

6

62

2.7

4

0.4

4

2.8

7

0.2

2

8.1

2

6.7

1

8.3

2

8.4

5

7.0

2

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24

63

3.0

4

0.4

4

2.9

6

0.4

5

6.9

6.6

7

7

6.9

8

7.2

6.9

5

64

3.0

6

0.4

5

1.9

7

- 6.7

6.8

6.7

6.7

7

6.7

8

100

3.2

1

1.6

8

4.9

5

0.3

2

7.2

7.2

7.6

7.7

7.5

7.4

4

101

4.5

1.4

2.9

0.1

9

6.8

6.5

6.8

7

6.3

6.6

8

102

4.8

0.8

8

2.2

5

- 6.3

6.2

6.5

6.2

6.8

6.4

103

5.7

5

2.5

6

3.3

4

0.4

2

9.7

10.5

9.8

10.1

10.9

10.2

104

3.6

0.5

6

4.6

3

0.5

7

8.5

8.4

9

8.4

10.2

8.9

105

2.6

-

2

- 6.2

6.4

6.5

6.7

6.4

6.4

4

106

3.6

0.9

5

2.6

8

0.3

3

6.8

7.3

7.4

6.2

6.5

6.8

4

107

3.9

5

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5

3.2

-

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7.5

8.5

8.5

7.7

8.0

8

108

3.4

0.6

6

3.2

0.2

7

7

6.8

7.9

7.2

7.2

7.2

2

109

6.8

3.1

2

2.6

3.5

3

6.2

5.5

5.3

8.7

9.2

6.9

8

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3.7

2

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5.4

5

5

5.1

5.0

8

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2

3.6

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3

6.4

5.7

6.7

5.8

5.9

6.1

112

2.3

0.5

3

2.8

0.2

4

5

4.9

4.8

4.9

4.8

4.8

8

113

4.3

1.6

3.6

1.1

5.8

5.6

5.6

6.1

6.1

5.8

4

Page 82: The Origins of Abbott Zoned Incised Ceramics in the late ...

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L.

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2.7

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7.3

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4.2

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6.9

7.2

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3.6

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6.9

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6.9

6.7

6.9

6.8

32

119

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3.7

0.8

6.7

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7.9

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4.9

6.5

2

120

5.7

0.3

6

4.4

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8.2

6.9

6.5

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7.8

4

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9

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8

10.4

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7

9.5

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14.8

11.6

44

202

3.7

0.3

9

3.4

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2

10

10.8

9.5

10.2

9.9

10.0

8

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4.6

5

2

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4

9.2

10.4

9.9

8.1

9.2

9.3

6

204

6.2

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4.4

0.8

8.7

7

9.4

9

8.5

9.1

8.9

54

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2.9

0.6

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6

5.6

6.3

6

6.0

2

206

5

0.8

3.1

0.4

8.6

8.3

8

8.2

8.5

8.3

2

207

5.1

2.1

3.4

0.4

7.4

6.7

7.3

7.5

6.4

7.0

6

208

3.6

1

2.6

0.2

6.7

5.7

5.4

5.6

6.5

5.9

8

209

5.5

4

1.3

2

3.5

4

- 7.2

6.7

7.3

7.2

7.1

7.1

210

3.6

0.8

2

3.4

-

8.5

6.9

7.9

5

7.2

7.3

7.5

7

211

3.5

1.3

3.5

1.1

7.3

7.1

7.8

6.1

6.4

6.9

4

212

5.6

1.9

4

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7.4

7.2

7.3

8

6.9

7.3

6

213

3.5

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5

2.7

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6

8.3

9.3

9.4

9.5

8.8

9.0

6

214

3.4

2.1

5

1.7

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5.9

6

6

6.1

6.3

6.0

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215

2.8

8

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7

2.7

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8

9.9

1

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9.8

7

9.3

6

10

9.8

54

216

7.5

1.8

5

5.5

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8.8

9.1

8.4

8.7

9.1

8.8

2

217

4.2

7

0.5

3

5.4

8

0.9

3

9.5

3

7.6

1

8.5

8

7.6

8

9.6

6

8.6

12

218

3.1

6

0.1

4

2.2

-

8.3

8

7.7

8.1

9

6.8

7.7

8

7.7

7

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4

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ed

205

Undete

rmin

ed

232

Sm

ooth

ed

206

Scra

ped

207

Scra

ped

208

Undete

rmin

ed

209

Cord

mark

ed

210

Sm

ooth

ed

211

Scra

ped

212

Scra

ped

Str

aig

ht

213

Sm

ooth

ed

214

Undete

rmin

ed

215

Sm

ooth

ed

216

Sm

ooth

ed

217

Scra

ped

218

Sm

ooth

ed

219

Scra

ped

220

Sm

ooth

ed

221

Sm

ooth

ed

222

Sm

ooth

ed

223

Undete

rmin

ed

224

Sm

ooth

ed

225

Sm

ooth

ed

226

Sm

ooth

ed

227

Undete

rmin

ed

228

Sm

ooth

ed

229

Sm

ooth

ed