Editing Ceramic (section)

===Archaeology===
Ceramic artifacts have an important role in archaeology for understanding the culture, technology, and behavior of peoples of the past. They are among the most common artifacts to be found at an archaeological site, generally in the form of small fragments of broken pottery called [[sherd]]s. The processing of collected sherds can be consistent with two main types of analysis: technical and traditional.

The traditional analysis involves sorting ceramic artifacts, sherds, and larger fragments into specific types based on style, composition, manufacturing, and morphology. By creating these typologies, it is possible to distinguish between different cultural styles, the purpose of the ceramic, and the technological state of the people, among other conclusions. Besides, by looking at stylistic changes in ceramics over time, it is possible to separate (seriate) the ceramics into distinct diagnostic groups (assemblages). A comparison of ceramic artifacts with known dated assemblages allows for a chronological assignment of these pieces.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center |website=The Process of Archaeology |url=http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/processarch/processarch/lab_ceramic.html |access-date=2004-11-12 |title=Ceramic Analysis |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 3, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120603053406/http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/processarch/processarch/lab_ceramic.html}}</ref>

The technical approach to ceramic analysis involves a finer examination of the composition of ceramic artifacts and sherds to determine the source of the material and, through this, the possible manufacturing site. Key criteria are the composition of the clay and the [[Temper (pottery)|temper]] used in the manufacture of the article under study: the temper is a material added to the clay during the initial production stage and is used to aid the subsequent drying process. Types of temper include [[seashell|shell]] pieces, [[granite]] fragments, and ground sherd pieces called '[[Grog (clay)|grog]]'. Temper is usually identified by microscopic examination of the tempered material. Clay identification is determined by a process of refiring the ceramic and assigning a color to it using [[Munsell color system|Munsell Soil Color]] notation. By estimating both the clay and temper compositions and locating a region where both are known to occur, an assignment of the material source can be made. Based on the source assignment of the artifact, further investigations can be made into the site of manufacture.