Publications

Analysis was performed on absorbed and visible residues from 21 New York State prehistoric pottery sherds dating from 2905 ± 35 bp (Intcal04) (1256–998 cal bc) to 425 ± 40 bp (Intcal04) (1417–1626 cal ad). The use of pine resin was detected in 10 of 12 absorbed residue samples and 11 of 17 sherds subjected to visible residue analysis. It seems likely that the pots were resin-sealed to make them more impermeable, constituting the first chemical evidence of extensive resin-sealing in North America. A comparison of the results of absorbed and visible residues from eight of the sherds indicates that the two kinds of residue provide complementary evidence of vessel use.