Pottery first used for seasonal harvesting
Ceramic vessels were always thought to be associated with the beginning of agriculture and village life. New findings from archaeological and molecular data collected in north-eastern North America on early pottery have dispelled this idea. Scientists on the CERES project investigated ceramic residues in the economic and social context of early pottery use in the area to assess new information. They considered the reasons for which people were using pottery and compared interpretations about pottery usage across different regions. Organic deposits and absorbed gas residues in the ceramic vessel shards under study were analysed specifically for answering questions about pottery usage. Sixty-five of 400 potsherds suitable for examination were analysed. The samples of pottery found near the coast clearly made sense as they supported the notion of vessels being used to carry seafood. Shards found inland needed several types of analyses and showed both coastal and inland site residues of marine or freshwater origins. Surprisingly, the inland shards did not show evidence of nearby flora and fauna. Based on this archaeological information and new molecular evidence, it seems that some early pottery sites were important focal points for large seasonal gatherings. Significantly, the popularity of ceramic vessels functioned out of necessity for harvesting seasonal marine and freshwater species. Events such as a spawning season would prompt a social gathering of several bands of people to cooperatively harvest the marine life. This project enhanced understanding of North American pre-history, going well beyond any American-led research to date. CERES increased the visibility of European researchers and supported student training, which also furthers collaborations between European and North American researchers. Important strides have been made in the larger anthropological issues related to culture and artefacts as well as core methods of organic residue analysis. These are transferable to numerous current environmental projects such as those assessing land contamination or the impact of agriculture practices on soil fertility.
