SOURCING CERAMICS IN THE SPIRO REGION: A PRELIMINARY STUDY USING PROTON-INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION (PIXE) ANALYSIS

In an effort to locate the sources of clays used to manufacture Harlan Phase (A.D. 850—1250) ceramics from the Arkansas Basin and Ozark Highlands in eastern Oklahoma, Proton Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) analysis is used to determine the probability of common origin on the basis of elemental constituents. The use of this procedure allows rapid analysis, thus making it possible to select quickly pottery sherds of similar composition and eliminate clay samples which are not strongly correlated with the sherds. Trace element and petrographic analyses, which are more time consuming and considerably more expensive, can then be used for detailed identification of strongly correlated samples. Results provide a preliminary indication of which local clay sources were used to manufacture plain ware ceramics at the Spiro site while also showing that some ceramics of indistinguishable physical appearance were possibly transported from other locations within the region.