Document

Title

Chapter 3: Fire effects on prehistoric ceramics
Document Type: Book Chapter
Author(s): T. Rude; A. T. Jones
Editor(s): Kevin C. Ryan; A. T. Jones; Cassandra L. Koerner; Kristine M. Lee
Publication Year: 2012

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • archaeological sites
  • artifacts
  • fire damage (property)
  • fire management
  • wildfires
Topic(s):
Region(s):
Record Maintained By:
TTRS Staff; https://talltimbers.org/contact-us
Record Last Modified: March 16, 2021
FRAMES Record Number: 52016
Tall Timbers Record Number: 29043
TTRS Location Status: In-file
TTRS Call Number: A13.88:RMRS-42-vol.3
TTRS Abstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Description

From the Conclusions ... 'Experimental studies focus mainly on the visual impacts of fire on potsherds. Fire effects on analytical properties of ceramics are less understood. Smoke blackening of sherds located at the ground surface is the most common fire effect noted. The permanency of smoke blackening on sherds remains a significant research question. Soot that cannot be washed off and other effects such as spalling, vitrification, oxidation, and crackling of slip can lead to the misidentification of some sherds. However, studies have found that potsherds affected by fire can most often be correctly identified in the lab.'

Citation:
Rude, T., and A. T. Jones. 2012. Chapter 3: Fire effects on prehistoric ceramics, in KC Ryan, AT Jones, CL Koerner, and KM Lee eds., Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on cultural resources and archaeology. Fort Collins, CO, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, General Technical Report RMRS-GTR, p. 85-96.