While archaeologists have had some success identifying who made ceramics and where they made them, these techniques relied on removing a sample and complex instrumentation. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) used portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation as a tool to determine the geographic origin of Native American ceramics.
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NCPTT, in partnership with the University of Delaware, will conduct a two-day workshop focused on a highly successful PTT grant by Chandra Reedy on Thin-Section Petrography of Stone and Ceramic Cultural Materials. The April 2012 workshop is open to 20 conservation professionals and will be held at the research laboratories of the National Conservation Training Center, Sheperdstown, W.Va. For more information contact Jason Church, jason_church@contractor.nps.gov
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A variety of materials and methods have been used to preserve ceramic vessels. Many have proven successful, while others are damaging. Monitoring and evaluation of past treatments is a documented research priority in the conservation field. The Arizona State Museum (ASM) has examined, recorded and analyzed the performance of past treatments on 20,000 southwest vessels and a modern storage facility.
This research has afforded the opportunity to look forwards and backwards to identify patterns in archaeological methods, museum management and conservation.
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