Dolores Archaeological Program: Supporting Studies, Additive and Reductive Technologies

Abstract

Dolores Archaeological Program activities have included a variety of synthetic supporting studies in addition to descriptive analyses of excavation and survey materials. This volume includes those supporting studies that deal with material culture, dating, and architecture.

Material culture papers that focus on lithic materials include typological analyses of projectile points, a study of changes in grinding tools and dietary implications, microwear analyses of flaked stone artifacts, and a study of change within stone and bone toolkits. Ceramic studies include a review of clay resource availability and use, definitions of non-Mesa Verde ceramics, a study of ceramic production and exchange prior to A.D. 800, studies of the production and exchange of smudged and glaze painted ceramics, investigation of vessel form and function, and an evaluation of the occurrence of fugitive red pigment. The final material culture chapter investigates sources of extraneous variability in archaeological collections.

Dating techniques employed by the DAP are discussed, with a focus on the ceramic and archaeomagnetic dating programs. One chapter describes the calibration of ceramic change in the Dolores Project area and ceramic dating procedures. Archaeomagnetic dating procedures are described in another chapter along with special studies relating to archaeomagnetic dating and a comprehensive reporting of data results.

The final chapters of this volume focus on architectural studies covering temporal trends, identification of ritual structures, relationships between structure function and abandonment context, and perspectives on pithouse to pueblo transition.