Bits and Pieces: A Case for Holistic Analysis in the Study of Ceramic Archaeology

Midwest North American ceramic archaeology is at a crossroads; on the one side of the spectrum are researchers insisting that the only sufficient approach to artifact analysis is quantitative; on the other are researchers supporting the continuation of qualitative analysis as the main approach to the study of ceramic artifacts. In addition, instinct and inherent skill in ceramic analysis are often cited more often than scientific methods. These two sides seem to become more polarized in their views as the field of archaeology evolves and new generations of students and archaeologists begin to publish and present their research. In this paper, a Middle to Late Woodland site in Northern Iowa (Lonergan et al., 2015), Site 13DK96, is offered as an example in which to apply a holistic approach to ceramic analysis and to the archaeological understanding of ceramic vessel ware types, one that incorporates multiple components of both sides of the analytical spectrum in order to fully understand a ceramic ware type at an archaeological site and to define it sufficiently for future researchers to consider and consult in their analyses.