Ceramic Dating and Type Associations

This chapter examines a number of issues associated with dating archaeological sites based on the joint occurrence of artifact types. The approach presented permits a quantitative evaluation of the degree of association (or disassociation) of types based on their frequency of co-occurrence in empirical assemblages. Use of this method can aid in the evaluation of ceramic complex or ceramic group models that are so often used in the ceramic dating of sites. Judicious use of the proposed analyses can also help uncover defects in type dating schemes and can help in identifying regional variation in type associations.