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Patterns In The Clay: X-Ray And Gamma-Ray Geochemical Sourcing Of Middle And Late Woodland Ceramics From Mulberry Island, Virginia
Roark, Courtney Senna
Roark, Courtney Senna
Abstract
In the lower Chesapeake region, the Middle and Late Woodland periods witnessed the emergence of a complex geopolitical landscape. However, the specific exchange relationships and kinship networks which structured the lives of Virginia Algonquians remain only marginally understood. As a result, researchers have few means to refine the culture-histories of many Native archaeological locales of the period, and struggle to place these sites within the broader social landscape of Tsenacomacoh. Such is the case for Mulberry Island, situated along the James River in Virginia’s Lower Peninsula. Despite comprehensive survey and stewardship of the island’s archaeological record by the United States Air Force, an important question remains: was the island a hinterland, and if so, then whose? Ceramic sourcing methods offer a viable means of addressing this gap. This study was designed to identify the presence or absence of exchange between the residents of Mulberry Island and Kiskiak, a large historically documented town within Virginia’s Lower Peninsula, during the Middle and Late Woodland periods. By combining the data from empirically calibrated portable energy-dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Gamma Ray Spectrometry (GRS), this study extends the reach of geochemical information that can be used to study precontact period ceramics nondestructively in Virginia and elsewhere, at a narrow geographic scale previously considered untenable. Results suggest that highly localized geological variables, rather than simple geographic distance, provide sufficient chemical variation to differentiate ceramics by provenance. Although exchange was not identified between Mulberry Island and Kiskiak, everyday exchange is posited for two sites within Mulberry Island, pointing to local social connectivity. Alternatively, comparison of the ceramics to field-collected raw clay samples suggest that differential clay mining practices took place between these sites. One sherd may represent an instance of individual experimentation with potting practice. The results represent a promising first step in refining the culture-history of Mulberry Island and other locales. Ultimately, the collective action of potting by task groups or localized communities of practice offers glimpses into a mosaic landscape of social identity which was complicated and granular, yet interconnected and continuous.
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2024-01-01
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Anthropology
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.21220/s2-sn01-gn49