Identifying Individual Vessels with X-Radiography

Abstract

The individual vessel, rather than the sherd, is the relevant unit of analysis in many kinds of behavioral studies. Economical methods for assigning the sherds of multiple vessels to their vessels of origin are introduced for household-made ceramics. The methods employ visible surface indicators of vessel individuality as well as radiographically detectable ones such as temper quantity, size distribution, spatial distribution, and material type, void spaces, and fracture systems. A hierarchical, sequential sorting strategy and certain radiographic methods, which are optimal for revealing the internal features of ceramics, make this application possible.