Machalilla Ceramic Inventory

The data files CERAMICS.TXT and CERAMICS.XLS contain data on the quantities and types of ceramics of each period recovered from the 553 collection lots in the Machalilla National Park survey. CERAMICS.TXT is an ASCII text file; CERAMICS.XLS contains the same data in the form of an Excel spreadsheet. Each line represents one collection lot. There are 553 lines in the text file, each with 55 variables separated by commas. The variables are, in the following order:

Early Formative sherds (breakdown by forms):

Early Formative sherds (breakdown by size of temper grains)

Late Formative sherds (breakdown by forms)

Late Formative sherds (breakdown by size of temper grains)

Regional Development sherds (breakdown by forms)

Regional Development sherds (breakdown by size of temper grains)

Integration sherds (breakdown by forms)

Integration sherds (breakdown by size of temper grains)

Chronologically undefined sherds

The first line of the ASCII text file, for example, looks like this:

1,17,8,,,,,,,8,8,,,,,,,,,,0,,,2,,,,,1,,,,,,,3,3,,5,,,,,,,,,,1,,,6,6,,

This indicates that the data pertains to collection lot 1, which contained a total of 17 sherds. It had 8 Early Formative indeterminate vessel form sherds, and no grinder, plate/saucer plate, bowl, olla, jar, or pedestal sherds. Hence, the total Early Formative sherds in this lot is 8. These 8 sherds can also be broken down by size of temper grains, for which there was 8 coarse sherds and no fine sherds. No Late Formative sherds were recovered. Two Regional Development indeterminate vessel form sherds were recovered, but no elaborate plate/saucer plate, utilitarian plate, griddle plate, or grinder plate sherds were picked up. There was one bowl sherd picked up, but no olla, jar, footed plate, pedestal, figurine, or other sherds recovered. Hence, the total Regional Development sherds was 3, out of which all 3 were coarse and none were fine. The sample also recovered 5 Integration indeterminate vessel form sherds, but no grinder, elaborate plate/saucer plate, utilitarean plate, griddle plate, bowl, olla, jar with flared rim, jar with unflared rim, or "mascaron" jar sherds. One pedestal plate sherd was recovered, but no figurine or other sherds were picked up. Hence, the total Integration sherds was 6, out of which all 6 had coarse temper grains and none had fine. There were no chronologically undefined sherds recovered.

The last, or 553rd, line of the ASCII text file is:

553,43,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,26,,2,1,2,1,9,2,,,,,,43,26,17,

This indicates that the data pertains to collection lot 553, which contained a total of 43 sherds. No Early Formative, Late Formative, or Regional Development sherds were recovered. Twenty six Integration indeterminate vessel form sherds were recovered, but no grinder sherds. Also, 2 elaborate plate/saucer plate, 1 utilitarean plate, 2 griddle plate, 1 bowl, 9 olla, and 2 jar with flared rim sherds were picked up. No jar with unflared rim, "mascaron" jar, pedestal plate, figurine, or other sherds were recovered. Hence, the total Integration sherds was 43, out of which 26 had coarse temper grains and 17 had fine. There were no chronologically undefined sherds recovered.

Click here to download the file CERAMICS.TXT (40 KB) or the file CERAMICS.XLS (200 KB).

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