Below are examples of the many ways in which petrography can enliven data sets and research.
Breaking the Mold: Compositional Insights into the Organization of Mississippian (ca. AD 1050-1550) Pottery Production in Southeastern North America
This project combined petrographic and chemical data to identify a form of molded pottery production previously unrecognized in the southeastern United States. These data sets specifically demonstrated that Mississippian (ca. AD 1050-1550) societies in Tampa Bay invented a form of molding that allowed novices to participate in pottery production. This broadening of participation was ultimately a response to culture contact, where relationships between generations of potters changed to accommodate communities migrating from the north.
Study conducted in partnership with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.
Published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2025.
Where Worlds Collide: Late Woodland Potting Practice and Social Interaction in Upstate South Carolina
This project used (qualitative) petrofabric analysis to decipher clay collection strategies and community interaction in the Late Woodland (ca. AD 500-1050) Piedmont of South Carolina. The patterns gleaned from this study suggested potters harvested from a range of raw clay resources and frequently interacted with neighboring communities during seasonal foraging cycles.
Study conducted in partnership with Clemson University.
Published in American Antiquity, 2023
Sourcing Mississippian Pottery among the Complex Maritime Cultures of Florida’s Peninsular Gulf Coast
This study mobilized a large chemical data set to outline trends in Mississippian pottery production and exchange. Results of the study demonstrated clear distinctions in manufacture, where potters used different clays for utilitarian and decorated vessels. This work ultimately revealed that axes of pottery exchange followed the contours of political power, giving some communities privileged access to certain types of pottery and pottery production techniques.
Study conducted in partnership with the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, and the University of Missouri Research Reactor.
Published in Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2023.
Duke Petrographic 