Cermics Laboratory

sleckert@tamu.edu

The study of archaeological ceramic material informs on a variety of human behaviors including economic networks, technological organization, migration, diet, ritual, and identity.

14th century jar from the site of Pottery Mound in New Mexico. This is one of numerous vessels used in Dr. Eckert's study of Pueblo migration and identity.

Faculty and students working in the Ceramic Laboratory at Texas A&M University are currently involved in numerous research projects that incorporate attribute analyses with petrographic and chemical characterization. These various techniques are combined in a wide range of projects such as determining the production organization of ancestral Polynesians in American Samoa, understanding the transfer of technological knowledge and Pueblo migration pathways in 14th century New Mexico, determining the extent of expedient technology among pottery producing hunter-and-gatherers in late prehistoric central Texas, and examining 19th century food ways in the American South.

Wild clay and temper samples collected by TAMU students during the 2006 TAMU field season in American Samoa.

Students working on ceramic projects are granted research space in the Ceramic Lab, as well as access to the necessary collections and equipment. Further, some faculty and students have chosen to work in close collaboration with the TAMU Center for Chemical Characterization . These researchers have access to various types of characterization techniques including INAA, LA-ICP-MS, AD-ICP-MS, and XRF.

Photos of petrographic thin sections from the TAMU Ceramic Lab comparative collection.

Undergraduate and graduate students interested in ceramic analysis are encouraged to learn the discipline through both course work and by direct participation in research activities. For more information on courses, research opportunities, or specific facilities, contact Dr. Suzanne Eckert .

Center for Chemical Characterization
http://www.chem.tamu.edu/services/naa/