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Pottery in the Mormon Economy: An Historical, Archaeological, and Archaeometric Study

Historical Archaeology volume 41, pages 72–97 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Pottery production was important to Latter-day Saint communities and distinguished these towns from their non-Mormon neighbors. The potters and workers left scant records that reveal how their wares fit into Utah’s theocratically organized economy. Potters and potteries of 19th-century Utah and the Mormon Domain were part of an archaeological survey conducted between 1999 and 2000. The research project yielded examples of kiln wasters that could be subjected to instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The results demonstrate the utility of integrating primary records and archaeometric tools in the study of historical era economic processes. Data also indicate the applicability of the approach for potteries in close geographic proximity and to determine patterns of variation within site assemblages. The authors propose an anthropological research program to explore the economics of religion in Mormon Utah, combining the analytical power of archaeometry with the contextualized questioning possible in historical archaeology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial History and Archaeology, Department of Socia Sciences/AOB209, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton, MI, 49931, USA

    Timothy James Scarlett

  2. Museum Support Center, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD, 20746, USA

    Robert J. Speakman

  3. Research Reactor Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Michael D. Glascock

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  1. Timothy James Scarlett
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  2. Robert J. Speakman
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  3. Michael D. Glascock
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Scarlett, T.J., Speakman, R.J. & Glascock, M.D. Pottery in the Mormon Economy: An Historical, Archaeological, and Archaeometric Study. Hist Arch 41, 72–97 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03377296

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