AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Ella M. Peterson for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Applied Anthropology, Design and Human Environment, and Art presented on December 10, 2008. Title: Recognizing Individual Potters in Historic Oregon Site A Visual and Chemical Analysis of Early Oregon Redware. Abstract approved: ________________________________________________________________ David R. Brauner This paper discusses research concerning redware vessel sherds found in an archaeological excavation at Oregon’s historic Champoeg State Park, and comparative artifacts from four known Oregon and Washington late nineteenth pottery production sites. Visual and Instrumental Nuclear Activation Analysis comparison studies were conducted on samples from each site. The New Brunswick Model was the method of artifact evaluation. Finding the individual idiosyncratic behaviors in material culture was the theoretical approach. Visual attribution was only successful in one instance. INAA yielded one statistically viable attribution of a Champoeg vessel to a nineteenth century Oregon potter. However, this research can be used to expand knowledge about each site, provide evidence to assist in dating the site and contribute to our understanding of economic distribution patterns in the mid-nineteenth century Willamette Valley. ©Copyright by Ella M. Peterson Defense Date December 10, 2008 All rights Reserved Recognizing Individual Potters in Historic Oregon Sites A Visual and Chemical Analysis of Early Oregon Redware by Ella M. Peterson A THESIS Submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies Presented December 10, 2008 Commencement June 2009 Master of Arts Interdisciplinary Science of Ella M. Peterson Presented on APPROVED: __________________________________________________________________ Major Professor, representing Applied Anthropology __________________________________________________________________ Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Program __________________________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the Permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request __________________________________________________________________ Ella M. Peterson, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My most heartfelt and grateful words of thanks must go to my best friend, my husband, Dolf Peterson. Without his constant encouragement and support I could not have gotten through this process. When I was expounding upon my incompetence, he was vehemently enumerating my abilities and his faith that I would finish my project in good time and at my own pace. My mom, Mary Jane Brown-Willis was a constant source of encouragement. She was always there cheering me on. Her countless hours of editing are gratefully acknowledged. Jessica Hale, friend and fellow graduate student, encourage me to go beyond visual analysis on this project. She introduced me to Dr. Leah Minc and the INAA process. She also taught me to prepare samples. Beyond that, Jess has been a constant source of encouragement and comradeship throughout graduate school. There are numerous faculty members at Oregon State University, who have had a profound influence on my life. They too have given me encouragement, listened to my complaints, and instilled confidence where there once was none. None deserves more credit for my completion of this document than Dr. David Brauner, my major professor. He reiterated countless times the importance of my work and his faith in my ability to reach my goal. The very fact that he did not understand my lack of confidence gave me confidence. Dr. Elaine Pederson encouraged me to strive for excellence, complemented my work and helped that small kernel of confidence begin to grow. She has been a mentor throughout. Dr. Barbara Loeb gave me the gift of seeing the individual in the material objects they produce—a gift that was put to good use in this endeavor. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Leah Minc for her patience in teaching me the very rudimentary concepts I needed to know to grasp the INAA process. Without her indulgence, her willingness to include my project in her lineup of many projects waiting for analysis, we might never have begun to build a chemical analysis database for northwest redware. I owe her a debt of gratitude. Finally, I would like to thank Blaine Schmeer, Harvey Steele and Dick Pugh for allowing me access to their collection, for trusting me to abscond with a sizable portion of it, and for their patience through countless interviews. I hope that this endeavor is worthy of that trust. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction…………………………………………….. 1 2 Historical Background: Methods and Results…………. 13 3 Research Methods……………………………………… 45 4 Artifact Analysis: Champoeg Site……………………… 75 5 Artifact Analysis: Potteries……………………………… 93 6 Artifact Analysis, INAA, Inclusions, Clay Sourcing…… 151 7 Discussion and Conclusions…………………………… 177 8 Future Research………………………………………… 197 References Cited…………………………………………… 199 Appendix 1…………………………………………………. 207 Appendix 2 …………………………………………............ 214 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Oregon map showing Champoeg and pottery sites…… 2 2. Eastern Washington. Site of Grove’s pottery………… 8 3. Possible Richardson cabin……………………………. 20 4. Hiram Pine advertisement……………………………. 24 5. 1994 Harris kiln excavation, Oregon City, OR………. 31 6. Samples from Harris kiln fire………………………… 32 7. A mid-20th century pottery working with 19th century tools……………………………………… 36 8. Potters tools…………………………………………… 38 9. Vessel A………………………………………………. 76 10. Vessel B………………………………………………. 80 11. Vessel C……………………………………………… 82 12. Vessel D……………………………………………… 84 13. Vessel E……………………………………………… 85 14. Vessel F……………………………………………… 88 15. Vessel G……………………………………………… 90 16. Champoeg rim profiles………………………………… 92 17. Strap handles……………………………………………… 95 18. Ear handles………………………………………………… 96 19. Decorative ear handles……………………………………. 96 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Figure Page 20. Lug handles………………………………………………. 97 21. Richardson/Grove urn …………………………………… 99 22. Richardson/Grove orange lidded jar……………………… 103 23. One process hanging lid…………………………….......... 104 24. Examples of jug rims……………………………….......... 106 25. Jug rim forms……………………………………………. 108 26. Wide rim profiles………………………………………… 114 27. Signed Grove rim………………………………………… 116 28. Medium rim profiles……………………………………… 117 29. Example of incised number 4……………………………… 120 30. Example of incised number 2……………………………. 122 31. Narrow rim profiles……………………………………… 126 32. Example of incised number 3……………………………. 127 33. Pedigo rim profiles………………………………………. 132 34. Pedigo rim type E………………………………………... 135 35. Harris rim profiles………………………………………… 136 36. Signed Harris rim sherd…………………………………… 141 LIST OF FIGURES (Continued) Figure Page 37. Tea pot lid…………………………………………………. 144 38. Farmington vessel profiles………………………………… 146 39. Examples of incised number 3, Farmington……………… 148 40. Cluster analysis based on all elements, using Euclidian distance and minimum variance clustering algorithms……………. 156 41. Cluster analysis excluding rare earth elements, using Euclidian Distance and minimum variance clustering algorithms…… 157 42. Cluster analysis based on all elements, using Euclidian distance And minimum variance clustering algorithms, with bricks… 160 43. Bivariate plot for Lanthanum and Lutetium……………… 163 44. Bivariate plot for Scandium and Cesium………………… 164 45. Bivariate plot for Chromium and Thorium………………. 165 46. Inclusion photographs……………………………………. 170 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Sites, occupants and time periods……………………… 13 2. The New Brunswick Model analysis chart……………. 53 Recognizing Individual Potters in Historic Oregon Sites A Visual and Chemical Analysis of Early Oregon Redware Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION This project is a comparative evaluation of redware artifacts recovered from an historic archaeological site, and vessels produced by four early Oregon potteries. The study began with a small assemblage of artifacts recovered from an archaeological site in Oregon‟s historic Champoeg State Park. Artifacts recovered include seven partially cross-mended flowerpots which became the catalyst for this research. The redware flowerpots, which were the catalyst for this Northwest pottery project, were found in an archaeological site, excavated in the summers of 1990 and 1991. Excavation was conducted by the Oregon State University anthropology department. The site is within the boundaries of Champoeg State Park, located approximately twenty miles southwest of Portland, Oregon. (Figure 1) As the site of one of Oregon‟s earliest settlements, Champoeg State Park is of considerable historic significance. It is not surprising, therefore that considerable archaeological excavation has been conducted there. 2 Figure 1: Oregon map showing Champoeg and pottery sites. (MapQuest 2008) Dr. David Brauner was conducting a field school on the west side of Champoeg Creek in 1990. Coincidentally, the Oregon State Parks Department was building a walking path on the east side of the creek. The Parks Department crew located historic artifacts and stopped construction of the path while Dr. Brauner investigated the site. A survey of the site was conducted, and artifacts were recovered. The following summer, when the field school resumed on the west side of Champoeg Creek, a group of students were dispatched to continue