This study examines cultural sources of variation in ceramic compositional
patterning in two pottery-making villages of the highland Philippines. In D
alupa, many potters are part-time specialists whereas in Dangtalan, women m
ake pottery less frequently. Previous studies show that both pottery form a
nd decoration correspond well with Kalinga social boundaries, but how do mo
rphological and decorative patterning relate to compositional variability?
Although researchers have made substantial advances in our understanding of
natural and postdepositional sources of compositional variability, little
is known about behavioral factors that affect chemical and mineralogical co
mpositional patterning. This study examines cultural practices of clay sele
ction and use in an ethnographic setting, and undertakes technical analyses
to assess the relationship between behavior and material culture patternin
g. Our study identified paste differences between the clays and fired ceram
ics from Dangtalan and those from Dalupa. Findings from our compositional r
esearch thus parallel earlier morphological and stylistic studies, and illu
strate multivariate differences in ceramics from these two Kalinga communit
ies. This ethnoarchaeological and analytical project contributes, therefore
, to understanding objective parameters within a behavioral context. It als
o provides an example of how a combined characterization approach, using ch
emical and petrographic techniques, can yield insights on intraregional var
iation at a finer scale of resolution than is often attempted.