I have worked with Clearwater Lake Punctate Ceramics (Late Prehistoric) from northern Saskatchewan that has had a lot of mica content.
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carl Steen
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 7:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Mica Temper?
There is Native American pottery in the Southeast with a fair amount of mica in the paste, but mostly tiny, incidental bits. I've been doing pottery research recently and haven't come across examples of mica-tempered wares, Steatite, crushed rock of various sorts are not uncommon. As good potting clay is often the result of granite decomposition it is possible that large chunks could remain and be included unintentionally. However, I have purposely included mica in some of my pottery as a decoration, so it doesn't seem far fetched that other people would do the same. My discovery was that mica comes through the firing unaltered, and the exposed bits start flaking off right away, so its not as attractive as expected. Also, if you were to use the vessel for cooking or storage you would constantly be picking mica out of your food.
Carl Steen
-----Original Message-----
From: Megan Springate <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, Jul 1, 2009 9:43 am
Subject: Mica Temper?
Forwarded from the Ceramics-L list; I thought perhaps someone here might have some thoughts. Please include Christian Gates on your reply
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--Megan Springate
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Mica Temper
From: "Christian Gates" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, July 1, 2009 9:26 am
To: [log in to unmask]
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Some colleagues from Montreal have found an=2 0assemblage of what seems to be Native American ceramics heavily tempered with mica: mica fragments are large, numerous and nearly as important as the clay itself. The pottery fragments are very hard and they break more like European ceramics than Native American ceramics. The context is a French settlement from the XVIIth Century.
Is anyone familiar with such pottery? Can anyone provide me with similar examples of Native American or European ceramics heavily tempered with mica?
Thank you
Christian Gates St-Pierre
Archaeologist, PhD
Ethnoscop inc.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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