Parowan Pottery And Fremont Complexity

The Fremont, a Formative culture located in the Eastern Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, have been primarily studied from an ecological perspective. This research addresses issues that are not ecological, the organization of production and exchange of ceramic vessels. Following criteria suggested by Brown et al. (1990), I argue that the following need to be addressed prior to a useful discussion of intergroup trade: the source of the raw materials of the exchanged objects, the associated pattern of distribution, the relative value of the objects, and their context of manufacture, use, and consumption. I specifically address three of these issues regarding the Snake Valley pottery series, asking what is the source of Snake Valley Black-on-gray pottery, what is the distribution of Snake Valley Gray, Snake Valley Black-on-gray, and Snake Valley Corrugated, and in what context was Snake Valley Black-on-gray manufactured? These questions are approached via two data sets -- a chemical assay and a distributional analysis. I argue that Snake Valley pottery was probably produced in a restricted area, the Parowan Valley, and that production was organized as community craft specialization, though I acknowledge that more research on this topic is ultimately required.