Ceramic Production in Early Hispanic California: Craft, Economy, and Trade on the Frontier of New Spain

This book is an important study of Spanish and Mexican ceramic production in California, and its impact on the economy and the Native people of the Spanish frontier. Using neutron activation analysis, petrography, and other analytic procedures, thousands of ceramic samples from Spanish and Mexican settlements and missions were examined.
Divided into five parts, this study focuses on such diverse topics as the steps involved in making various kinds of ceramics, the impact of ceramic making on the Native people, and the economic impact of ceramic production on the frontier. The three principle authors are experts in the fields of archaeology and chemistry. They are joined by 10 other contributors who add details and insights. The resulting multifaceted approach produces data that lead to new conclusions about the early colonial period of New Spain. The interactions between European and Native cultures brought about significant changes for both groups. This volume is an important addition to the understanding of Spanish and Mexican colonization of California.