University of Groningen
The adoption of pottery into the New World Admiraal, Marjolein
DOI:
10.33612/diss.124423841
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Publication date: 2020
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Admiraal, M. (2020). The adoption of pottery into the New World: exploring pottery function and dispersal in Southwest Alaska through organic residue analysis. University of Groningen.
https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.124423841
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Statements to supplement the thesis
The adoption of pottery into the New World
Exploring pottery function and dispersal in Southwest Alaska through organic residue analysis
Marjolein Admiraal
1. Pottery in SW Alaska was a specialized tool for aquatic resource processing.
2. The preservation of pre-firing manufacture-derived lipids (due to the addition of
organic materials to the clay during manufacture) is minimal in pottery fired at temperatures over 400°C.
3. The high occurrence of stone bowls in the Aleutian Islands at around 3.000 cal BP was a result of climatic instabilities (the Neoglacial). As a result, the Aleut started using stone bowls to render marine mammal oil (with direct heating), instead of
cold-rendering which is highly dependent on stable temperatures and is costly in time.
4. Site distribution patterns of pottery sites in SW Alaska indicate the importance of
aquatic resources for both the Norton and Thule cultures. Pottery use is highly dependent on geographical location (coastal vs. riverine). However, coastal pottery is also often used to process salmonids, harvested at large river mouths on the coasts. 5. Pottery was introduced in the New World as part of a Late Neolithic riverine
adaptation originating in Northeast Asia.
6. The late, and uneven adoption of pottery on Kodiak Island was mainly due to social boundaries, also reflected in other material culture and linguistic variability. On
Kodiak the uneven distribution of pottery may be connected to Late Koniag whaling practices, as indicated by residue results and the distribution of contemporaneous whale remains.
