Information AboutPetrography |
|
Archaeological applications Petrography is used by Archaeologists to identify the mineral components in Pottery . This information is then usually used to tie the artifacts to geological source areas for both the clay used and the rock fragments (usually called "temper" or "aplastics") often added by potters to modify the properties of the clay. This information provides insight into how potters were selecting and using local and nonlocal resources, as well as allowing archaeologists to determine whether pottery found in a particular location was locally produced or traded from elsewhere. In turn, this kind of information (in combination with other evidence) can be used to build inferences about settlement patterns, group and individual mobility, and social contacts or trade networks. In addition, an understanding of how certain minerals are altered at specific temperatures can allow archaeological petrographers to infer aspects of the Ceramic production process itself, such as minimum and maximum temperatures reached in the original firing of the pot. |