Potters and politics: Factionalism and the organization of ceramic production in Paradijon, the Philippines

Abstract

This dissertation is an ethnoarchaeological study of the organization of traditional pottery manufacture the barrio of Paradijon, Gubat, Sorsogon Province, the Philippines. The potters of Paradijon have been drawn into political competition between elite members of the community, which has led to factionalism among the potting community. This research uses a case study approach to identify how traditional, independent potters become involved in elite competition, and the effect such involvement has on traditional pottery manufacture and its material record. The organization of ceramic production has become a mainstay in archaeological investigation. Within the case study context, this research seeks to contribute to the field along several fronts. First, this research re-examines the topic of the organization of production and suggests that the use of Contingency Theory will advance archaeological understanding of organizational behavior. Second, the participation of independent craft specialists in elite competition is described and explained. Third, a detailed analysis of the traditional technology of production in Paradijon is provided and the rejection of modern pottery technology introduced by the Philippine federal government is examined. Fourth, a social network analysis is used to illustrate the effect of factionalism on informal organizational complexity within specialist communities. And fifth, this research tests the ability of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis for discerning factional competition in the material record, and illustrates the ways in which sociopolitical behavior creates patterning in material culture.