Abstract

The functionality of Ontario precontact pottery is an area in which experimentation, research and published material is lacking. Most often, aspects related to decoration, time period and cultural affiliation are sought after while potential pottery usage is generally ignored. In the manufacturing and seasoning of a series of ceramic vessels, a multi-faceted approach is used in which experimental methods are employed, archaeological and ethnographic examples are consulted, and all are combined to make assumptions in relation to possible pottery function for the Ontario archaeological record. Ultimately the aim of this paper is to look at precontact ceramics as functional tools in an effort to open up more avenues for research, and to encourage the use of experimental archaeology to test theories of artifact function in general.