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Conference Presentations by Devon Graves

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne Opératoire, Communities of Practice, and Pottery in the Precolonial Northern Caribbean; a good match? Paper Presentation for the 26 th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists

Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. H... more Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. However, until recently much of the research on archaeological ceramics has focused on the outward appearance of stylistic attributes, while neglecting ceramic technology. The peoples living in the areas of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Turks & Caicos Islands have been theorized to have been in frequent and sustained contact based from a combination of modal stylistic analysis conducted on ceramics found. This research explores both the technological and stylistic attributes of pottery recovered from precolonial sites in the coastal regions of the Montecristi and Puerto Plata provinces (Dominican Republic), and the site of Palmetto Junction (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands). The concept of the chaîne opératoire was utilized in this research in conjunction with the theory of communities of practice and constellations of practices in order to better understand the manufacturing techniques employed in the production of pottery in these regions. The combination of technique and theory can allow to delve further into the social dimension of pottery production and the possible relationship and exchange networks that took place between potters or the communities in which they were made or traded. Macrofabric, macrotrace, and modal stylistic analyses of the recovered sherds were employed to explore the processes of making. It was found following the chaîne opératoire approach that potters engaged in a complex interplay of production utilizing a multiplicity of techniques and outward design. It was also found that the use of both communities of practice as a theory and chaîne opératoire as an approach work for certain case studies, but not for others. Several scenarios were unfolded about the possible relationship between the different potting communities and sites analyzed and adds to the current narrative and understanding of the Late Ceramic Age Northern Caribbean.

Research paper thumbnail of Looking through the Potter’s Hands: Pottery Making Processes of the Pre -colonial Northern Caribbean (1000-1440 CE)

28th Congress of the International Association of Caribbean Archaeology, 2019

Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain archaeologically recovered from Caribbean post-Sal... more Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain archaeologically recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. Pottery provides a large source of information about indigenous peoples’ way of life and has been used as a crucial tool for interpreting the archaeological record. However, until recently most research on archaeological ceramics has focused on the outward appearance of stylistic attributes, while neglecting ceramic technology. This paper explores both the technological and stylistic attributes of pre-colonial pottery recovered from the coastal region of the Montecristi and Puerto Plata provinces (Dominican Republic), and the site of Palmetto Junction (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands). The Greater Antilles have been the assumed place of origin for the original migrants of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the sustained focus area of exchange. This paper reexamines the narrative of interactions between sites in the Northwestern Dominican Republic and Palmetto Junction through macrotrace and macrofabric analyses. Through the analysis of pottery manufacturing techniques and their connection to modal style, a metaphorical painting emerges that complicates traditional ideas of ceramic manufacture in the pre-colonial Caribbean. Technological analyses have revealed the multiplicity of potting and technical traditions that were present, recreating the complex interplay of production. The multiplicity of potting techniques demonstrates the diversity of the chaîne opératoires and possibility for multiple communities of practice within and amongst sites. This paper contributes to the ongoing dialogue regarding pre-colonial Caribbean peoples potting traditions and networks of interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Cookware and crockery: a form and functional view from the Southern Bahamas

Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providen... more Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, has provided new insights into the livelihoods and subsistence practices of the peoples who inhabited this coastal region from c. AD 1280-1455. The microbotanical remains, identified primarily as originating from seeds and tubers, provide evidence for a continuation in the consumption and manipulation of traditional Antillean plant resources. During the late precolonial period, people used domesticated plants such as maize, sweet potato, and yam, and employed plant-processing techniques that permitted the consumption of otherwise inedible geophytes. Some of the pottery may have been used as serving vessels and others such as Palmetto-style griddles for cooking. Interpretations of foodway dynamics in this region will serve to build a unique Caribbean perspective of food patterns. In this regard, this research contributes to modern-day global appreciations of ancient foodways, which offer significance and meanings to both socially learned practices and other life-ways. An in-depth analysis covering the style and form of the Palmetto Junction pottery in conjunction with information from ancient starch grains creates a fuller interpretation of how the interrelationships amongst past human societies, plants, and material culture were entangled.

Papers by Devon Graves

Research paper thumbnail of Cookware and Crockery: A Form and Functional View from the Southern Bahamas

Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providen... more Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, has provided new insights into the livelihoods and subsistence practices of the peoples who inhabited this coastal region from c. AD 1280-1455. The microbotanical remains, identified primarily as originating from seeds and tubers, provide evidence for a continuation in the consumption and manipulation of traditional Antillean plant resources. During the late precolonial period, people used domesticated plants such as maize, sweet potato, and yam, and employed plant-processing techniques that permitted the consumption of otherwise inedible geophytes. Some of the pottery may have been used as serving vessels and others such as Palmetto-style griddles for cooking. Interpretations of foodway dynamics in this region will serve to build a unique Caribbean perspective of food patterns. In this regard, this research contributes to modern-day global appreciations of ancient foodways, which offer significance and meanings to both socially learned practices and other life-ways. An in-depth analysis covering the style and form of the Palmetto Junction pottery in conjunction with information from ancient starch grains creates a fuller interpretation of how the interrelationships amongst past human societies, plants, and material culture were entangled.

Research paper thumbnail of Chaîne Opératoire, Communities of Practice, and Pottery in the Precolonial Northern Caribbean; a good match? Paper Presentation for the 26 th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists

Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. H... more Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. However, until recently much of the research on archaeological ceramics has focused on the outward appearance of stylistic attributes, while neglecting ceramic technology. The peoples living in the areas of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Turks & Caicos Islands have been theorized to have been in frequent and sustained contact based from a combination of modal stylistic analysis conducted on ceramics found. This research explores both the technological and stylistic attributes of pottery recovered from precolonial sites in the coastal regions of the Montecristi and Puerto Plata provinces (Dominican Republic), and the site of Palmetto Junction (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands). The concept of the chaîne opératoire was utilized in this research in conjunction with the theory of communities of practice and constellations of practices in order to better understand the manufacturing techniques employed in the production of pottery in these regions. The combination of technique and theory can allow to delve further into the social dimension of pottery production and the possible relationship and exchange networks that took place between potters or the communities in which they were made or traded. Macrofabric, macrotrace, and modal stylistic analyses of the recovered sherds were employed to explore the processes of making. It was found following the chaîne opératoire approach that potters engaged in a complex interplay of production utilizing a multiplicity of techniques and outward design. It was also found that the use of both communities of practice as a theory and chaîne opératoire as an approach work for certain case studies, but not for others. Several scenarios were unfolded about the possible relationship between the different potting communities and sites analyzed and adds to the current narrative and understanding of the Late Ceramic Age Northern Caribbean.

Research paper thumbnail of Looking through the Potter’s Hands: Pottery Making Processes of the Pre -colonial Northern Caribbean (1000-1440 CE)

28th Congress of the International Association of Caribbean Archaeology, 2019

Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain archaeologically recovered from Caribbean post-Sal... more Pottery is the most ubiquitous material remain archaeologically recovered from Caribbean post-Saladoid contexts. Pottery provides a large source of information about indigenous peoples’ way of life and has been used as a crucial tool for interpreting the archaeological record. However, until recently most research on archaeological ceramics has focused on the outward appearance of stylistic attributes, while neglecting ceramic technology. This paper explores both the technological and stylistic attributes of pre-colonial pottery recovered from the coastal region of the Montecristi and Puerto Plata provinces (Dominican Republic), and the site of Palmetto Junction (Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands). The Greater Antilles have been the assumed place of origin for the original migrants of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the sustained focus area of exchange. This paper reexamines the narrative of interactions between sites in the Northwestern Dominican Republic and Palmetto Junction through macrotrace and macrofabric analyses. Through the analysis of pottery manufacturing techniques and their connection to modal style, a metaphorical painting emerges that complicates traditional ideas of ceramic manufacture in the pre-colonial Caribbean. Technological analyses have revealed the multiplicity of potting and technical traditions that were present, recreating the complex interplay of production. The multiplicity of potting techniques demonstrates the diversity of the chaîne opératoires and possibility for multiple communities of practice within and amongst sites. This paper contributes to the ongoing dialogue regarding pre-colonial Caribbean peoples potting traditions and networks of interaction.

Research paper thumbnail of Cookware and crockery: a form and functional view from the Southern Bahamas

Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providen... more Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, has provided new insights into the livelihoods and subsistence practices of the peoples who inhabited this coastal region from c. AD 1280-1455. The microbotanical remains, identified primarily as originating from seeds and tubers, provide evidence for a continuation in the consumption and manipulation of traditional Antillean plant resources. During the late precolonial period, people used domesticated plants such as maize, sweet potato, and yam, and employed plant-processing techniques that permitted the consumption of otherwise inedible geophytes. Some of the pottery may have been used as serving vessels and others such as Palmetto-style griddles for cooking. Interpretations of foodway dynamics in this region will serve to build a unique Caribbean perspective of food patterns. In this regard, this research contributes to modern-day global appreciations of ancient foodways, which offer significance and meanings to both socially learned practices and other life-ways. An in-depth analysis covering the style and form of the Palmetto Junction pottery in conjunction with information from ancient starch grains creates a fuller interpretation of how the interrelationships amongst past human societies, plants, and material culture were entangled.

Research paper thumbnail of Cookware and Crockery: A Form and Functional View from the Southern Bahamas

Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providen... more Recent archaeobotanical research on the Palmetto Junction archaeological site located in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, has provided new insights into the livelihoods and subsistence practices of the peoples who inhabited this coastal region from c. AD 1280-1455. The microbotanical remains, identified primarily as originating from seeds and tubers, provide evidence for a continuation in the consumption and manipulation of traditional Antillean plant resources. During the late precolonial period, people used domesticated plants such as maize, sweet potato, and yam, and employed plant-processing techniques that permitted the consumption of otherwise inedible geophytes. Some of the pottery may have been used as serving vessels and others such as Palmetto-style griddles for cooking. Interpretations of foodway dynamics in this region will serve to build a unique Caribbean perspective of food patterns. In this regard, this research contributes to modern-day global appreciations of ancient foodways, which offer significance and meanings to both socially learned practices and other life-ways. An in-depth analysis covering the style and form of the Palmetto Junction pottery in conjunction with information from ancient starch grains creates a fuller interpretation of how the interrelationships amongst past human societies, plants, and material culture were entangled.