Title
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2014
Department 1
Anthropology
Abstract
Evidence from sites in the lower Ulua valley of north-central Honduras, occupied between a.d. 500 and 1000, provides new insight into the connections between households, craft production, and the role of objects in maintaining social relations within and across households. Production of pottery vessels, figurines, and other items in a household context has been documented at several sites in the valley, including Cerro Palenque, Travesía, Campo Dos, and Campo Pineda. Differences in raw materials, in what was made, and in the size and design of firing facilities allow us to explore how crafting with clay created communities of practice made up of people with varying levels of knowledge, experience, and skill. We argue that focusing on the specific features of a particular craft and the crafter's perspective gives us insight into the ways that crafting contributed to the reproduction of social identities, local histories, and connections among members of communities of practice who comprised multicrafting households.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
DOI
10.1017/S0956536114000303
Recommended Citation
Joyce, Rosemary A., Julia A. Hendon, and Jeanne Lopiparo. "Working With Clay." Ancient Mesoamerica 25.2 (Fall 2014), 411-420.
Required Publisher's Statement
The original version is available from the publisher at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9527696&fileId=S0956536114000303
Included in
Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Cultural History Commons, Latin American History Commons, Latin American Studies Commons