Finding the Potential Potter: An Experimental Analysis of Woodland Pottery Decoration Techniques

ABSTRACT

Archaeological approaches to “finding the individual” have been applied through various material avenues. Pottery production has been considered an effective avenue to identify idiosyncratic variation, but there has been little work to evaluate fundamental assumptions of attribution studies. This paper addresses how differences in decorative techniques can influence our ability to identify the actions of an individual. In an experimental study, participants applied decoration by incising and linear stamping techniques. Element size, element width, and gap width were evaluated through principal component analysis to identify possible patterning. The author had considerably more success identifying individual variation in linear stamping compared to variation caused by incising techniques. The author argues the stamping technique is more recognizably individualized due to the higher number of actions that can be related to measurable variables used to identify individual variation. The results indicate that idiosyncratic variation among potters will be more effectively recognized when potters apply certain decorative techniques.

KEYWORDS:

• Individual variation
• fine-motor habits
• attribution studies
• Woodland decoration
• decorative techniques
• incising
• linear stamping
• pottery production

Acknowledgments

This article developed from a graduate research project that was completed at the University of Toronto. Heather Miller has provided insightful comments and guided me along the process. David G Smith has provided me with insightful comments and encouragement. John Whittaker has provided insightful comments that have enhanced the nature of this project. Justin Jennings provided encouragement that led me to resubmit this article. I would like to also thank my participants who were part of this research project. Lastly, I would like to thank my fiancé who continuously provides encouragement and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steven G. Dorland

Steven G. Dorland received his Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology at the University of Toronto. His research interests include northern Iroquoian pottery production, the role of children in pre-contact societies, and the development of community-based participatory research in southern Ontario with Indigenous communities.