The evolution of Crema (Cream) wares in the Valley of Oaxaca – Insights from INAA and ceramic petrography

•We combine INAA and ceramic petrography to examine variability in crema wares ca. 700 BCE – 850 CE.•Chemical and mineral analyses indicate four different areas in the northern valley produced cremas.•Production locations and type of vessels produced (utilitarian vs. elite wares) shifted over time.•These new results challenge long-standing assumptions regarding the significance of crema vessels. The visually distinctive pastes of crema (cream) ceramics hold a special place in reconstructing the prehistory of highland Oaxaca, Mexico. Their characteristic large, white, angular (crystalline) inclusions have been linked to a single clay source located just north of Monte Albán, thus the ware is often interpreted as a marker of contact with Monte Albán. To assess this assumption of a single, localized production area, we analyze a large sample of crema ceramics from the Valley of Oaxaca ranging in date from ca. 700 BCE to 850 CE. Specifically, we combine both INAA (N = 754) and ceramic petrography (N = 27) to examine the internal consistency of crema wares and address the question of whether all cremas share the same chemical and mineralogical signature indicating a common provenance, or whether chemical and mineral subgroups reflect different manufacturing locales for this important ware. Our results indicate that cremas have a longer and more complex history than previously thought, and potentially affect how we employ this ceramic ware to understand the influence of Monte Albán within the valley and beyond.