Glaze and slip pigment analyses of Pueblo IV period ceramics from east-central Arizona using time of flight-laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (TOF-LA-ICP-MS)

This paper presents the results of glaze-paint and slip analysis of 161 White Mountain Red Ware ceramic samples (AD 1275–1325) from east-central Arizona. Time of flight-laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (TOF-LA-ICP-MS) analysis is used (1) to establish viability of the technique for measuring chemical compositions of glazes and slips, and (2) to establish a methodology for inferring this structured variability, specifically delineating the presence of specific pigment mixtures or “recipes” used by prehistoric potters in the Greater Southwest. These data bear on archaeological questions about craft production, exchange, technology, and social organization.