Pottery-Making in Spanish California: Creating Multi-Scalar Social Identity through Daily Practice

Ceramic production at Mission San Antonio de Padua (1769–1834) reveals how potters shaped social identity through shared practices and material choices. Analysis of Plainware pottery shows that potters consistently selected local raw materials and used open-fire firing techniques, suggesting a collective mission identity. However, variability in forming methods—such as hand modeling versus wheel-throwing—hints at gender distinctions within the indigenous population. This study demonstrates how daily craft practices could both unify mission communities while also create social divisions, offering insight into colonial-era identity formation.

Peelo, S. (2011). Pottery-Making in Spanish California: Creating Multi-Scalar Social Identity through Daily Practice. American Antiquity, 76(4), 642–666. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.76.4.642