Area group: an example of style and paste compositional covariation in Maya pottery

Conference · Sun Jun 12 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5463290

Bishop, R L; Reents, D J; Harbottle, G; Sayre, E V; van Zelst, L

This paper has addressed aspects of ceramic style and iconography as found in Late Classic Maya ceramic art, including the supplemental perspective afforded by the analysis of ceramic paste. The chemical data provide a means to assess the extent of stylistic-paste compositional covariation. Depending upon the strength of that covariation various inferences may be drawn about craft specialization, exchange and information flow within Maya society. At the least, it provides an empirical means of comparing stylistically similar vessels; and when they are members of a chemically homogeneous group, it permits style to be addressed in terms of its variation. Additionally, compositionally defined site or region specific reference units provide a chemical background against which the non-provenienced vessels may be compared, allowing the whole vessels to be related to the archaelogically recovered fragmentary material. Finally, this multidisciplinary approach has been illustrated by preliminary findings concerning a specific group of polychrome vessels, The Area Group.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA); Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Dept. of Art History; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA (USA). Research Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5463290
• Report Number(s): BNL-33772; CONF-8306140-2; ON: DE84001669
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990000* -- General & Miscellaneous
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
CENTRAL AMERICA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
LATIN AMERICA
SOCIOLOGY
VARIATIONS