Using relative dating and seriation to identify trends in Northeastern Missouri Late Woodland period pottery decoration

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This thesis uses correspondence analysis and vessel wall-thickness time trends to investigate the type and location of decoration on the lips of pottery cooking vessels from Late Woodland period (A.D. 450 to 900) sites in northeastern Missouri. Pottery from four sites in Pike, Lincoln, and St. Charles counties are analyzed. This study also investigates the Middle to Late Woodland period regional trend of thinner-walled cooking pots that has been related to engineering pots for increased thermal efficiency when cooking starchy seeds. An attempt is also made to produce a chronological sequence based on these vessel wall thickness trends at the four sites for the purpose of interpolating the age of undated features. This study finds that there is no clear chronological sequence to the location of lip decoration (interior, crest, and exterior) on the pots in the sample, nor is there a time-related sequence of the decorative elements. At the sites investigated, cord-wrapped stick impressions on the interior lip margin are the most common form of decoration. A similar trend towards thinner-walled cooking pots is identified at the four sites, but these trends had multiple age intercepts preventing the interpolation of time.