Ceramic Analysis Laboratory

Director: Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin

Affiliated Faculty: Dr. Kaitlyn Davis

Location: Bilby Research Center, Room 160

The Archaeological Ceramics Lab provides space, tools, and technology to process, sort, categorize, and analyze archaeological pottery. The type collection (reference collection) housed in the Ceramics Lab is available to researchers working on the Colorado Plateau and students studying Southwest Archaeology. In addition to the Colorado Plateau, written and digital reference materials available to Ceramics Lab users also cover the Northern and Middle Rio Grande regions of New Mexico.

The facility includes:

• Sinks, drying racks, and laboratory tables for processing field specimens and performing basic sorting and identification of pottery wares and types;
• Optical microscopes, digital calipers, digital cameras, and digital scales to analyze pottery in terms of temper, thickness, size, painted and corrugated designs, and other attributes important to archaeological analysis;.
• Type specimens of common Arizona and New Mexico pottery are available as a comparative collection;
• A locking closet with secure storage space for collections to be analyzed for research or cultural resource compliance projects; and
• Access to the Lithic Analysis Lab (Bilby 160A). Contact Dr. Kellam Throgmorton for information about the Lithic Lab.

Current projects related to the lab include:

The Estaca Project

Focus: Documenting multi-component Tewa and Hispanic villages in New Mexico and analyzing associated artifact assemblages to explore questions of trade/exchange, socioeconomic change, and cultural transition.

Location: Estaca, New Mexico

Contact: Dr. Kaitlyn Davis