Journal article
The Ball-on-Three-Ball Test for Tensile Strength: Refined Methodology and Results for Three Hohokam Ceramic Types
American antiquity, Vol.67(3), pp.558-569
07/2002
DOI: 10.2307/1593826
Abstract
Weak impacts, such as those caused by bumping vessels together or knocking vessels over, are a major cause of ceramic vessel breakage. The ball-on-three ball test for resistance to biaxial flexure is intended to test resistance to weak impacts. Ceramic types with greater resistance to biaxial flexure should therefore have longer use lives than those having less resistance. Data on ceramic strength are also important for understanding technological change and the demand for exchanged vessels. This paper refines the original methodology for use of the ball-on-three-ball test (Neupert 1994) and explores the strength of Hohokam plainware and Red-on-buff ceramics from south-central Arizona. Gila Plain sherds exhibit the most resistance to biaxial flexure of the three types tested. Casa Grande Red-on-buff sherds appear to be stronger than earlier Sacaton Red-on-buff sherds. Whole and reconstructed Casa Grande Red-on-buff mortuary vessels are also significantly less fragmented than Sacaton Red-on-buff mortuary vessels from the sites of Snaketown (AZ U:13:1) and AZ U:13:21, suggesting that Casa Grande Red-on-buff vessels have greater resistance to weak impacts.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Ball-on-Three-Ball Test for Tensile Strength: Refined Methodology and Results for Three Hohokam Ceramic Types
- Creators
- Margaret E Beck - University of Arizona
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- American antiquity, Vol.67(3), pp.558-569
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- DOI
- 10.2307/1593826
- ISSN
- 0002-7316
- eISSN
- 2325-5064
- Number of pages
- 12
- Alternative title
- Reports; American Antiquity
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2002
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology
- Record Identifier
- 9984269245802771
Metrics
9 Record Views