Sampling Strategy

            Because the ceramic assemblage recovered during 1999 excavations was large, a sampling strategy was employed to glean a representative data set from the site.  First, sherds considered too small for analysis (< 1 cm in diameter) were counted, weighed, and bagged.  Second, all sherds considered undiagnostic (e.g., gray ware body sherds and slipped, unpainted white ware) were assigned rough sort types (e.g., corrugated gray or slipped white), vessel forms, vessel portions, count, and weight.  Finally, diagnostic artifacts (those that provide the best information) were fully analyzed and data for all attributes were recorded.  These artifacts include gray ware rim fragments, typable white ware (having painted designs that could be assigned a ceramic type), all red ware, all brown ware, and artifacts with postfiring modifications.  This strategy was employed for all of the ceramic artifacts from Unit 142N, 102E, the burial, and the pitstructure.