Petrographic temper provinces of prehistoric pottery in Oceania
Abstract
The mineralogical compositions and petrological character of non-calcareous mineral sand tempers in prehistoric potsherds from Pacific islands are governed by the geographic distribution of geotectonic provinces controlled by patterns of plate tectonics. As sands from different islands are not mingled by sedimentary dispersal systems, each temper sand is a faithful derivative record of parent bedrock exposed on the island of origin. Tempers are dominantly beach and stream sands, but also include dune sand, colluvial debris, reworked volcanic ash, broken rock, and broken pottery (grog). From textural relations with clay pastes, most tempers were manually added to clays collected separately, but naturally tempered clay bodies occur locally. Calcareous temper sands derived from reef detritus are widely distributed, but ancient potters commonly preferred non-calcareous sands for temper. Consequently, beach placer sand tempers rich in diagnostic heavy minerals are typical of many temper suites. Distinctive temper classes include oceanic basalt, andesitic arc, dissected orogen, and tectonic highland tempers characteristic of different geologic settings where contrasting bedrock terranes are exposed. Most Oceanian sherd suites contain exclusively indigenous tempers derived from local island bedrock, but widely distributed occurrences of geologically exotic tempers document limited pottery transfer over varying distances at multiple sites.
