Books by Lisa Niziolek
In this article we draw on suites of new information to reinterpret the date of the Java Sea Ship... more In this article we draw on suites of new information to reinterpret the date of the Java Sea Shipwreck. The ship was a Southeast Asian trading vessel carrying a large cargo of Chinese ceramics and iron as well as luxury items from outside of China, such as elephant tusks and resin. Initially the wreck, which was recovered in Indonesia, was placed temporally in the mid-to late 13th century based on a single radiocarbon sample and ceramic styles. We employ new data, including multiple radiocarbon dates and inscriptions found on some of the ceramics, to suggest that an earlier chronological placement be considered.
The cargo of the 13th-century Java Sea Shipwreck provides a lens through which we can view the mu... more The cargo of the 13th-century Java Sea Shipwreck provides a lens through which we can view the multicultural nature of maritime exchange and examine globalization. This Indonesian-built cargo ship carried objects from China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, including an estimated 100,000 ceramic pieces, metal figurines and finials, glass, scale weights and bars, ivory, aromatic resin, and nearly 200 tons of iron. Within this single underwater site, multiple geographic regions (East and Southeast Asia and the Middle East), artistic traditions (Chinese qingbai ceramics and Thai kendis), ideologies (Indonesian myths and Buddhist symbolism), and individuals of different vocations and cultural backgrounds (Chinese potters, Muslim or Middle Eastern merchants, Buddhist monks, and Javanese elite) are represented in the material record and linked through maritime routes. This chapter will analyze the Java Sea Wreck and its cargo in order to determine how these materials can be used to identify two key features of globalization—increased long-distance connections and the development of a global culture.
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At the entrance of The ... more From http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo24112417.html:
At the entrance of The Field Museum’s Cyrus Tang Hall of China, two Chinese stone guardian lions stand tall, gazing down intently at approaching visitors. One lion’s paw rests upon a decorated ball symbolizing power, while the other lion cradles a cub. Traditionally believed to possess attributes of strength and protection, statues such as these once stood guard outside imperial buildings, temples, and wealthy homes in China. Now, centuries later, they guard this incredible permanent exhibition.
China’s long history is one of the richest and most complex in the known world, and the Cyrus Tang Hall of China offers visitors a wonderful, comprehensive survey of it through some 350 artifacts on display, spanning from the Paleolithic period to present day. Now, with China: Visions through the Ages, anyone can experience the marvels of this exhibition through the book’s beautifully designed and detailed pages. Readers will gain deeper insight into The Field Museum’s important East Asian collections, the exhibition development process, and research on key aspects of China’s fascinating history. This companion book, edited by the exhibition’s own curatorial team, takes readers even deeper into the wonders of the Cyrus Tang Hall of China and enables them to study more closely the objects and themes featured in the show. Mirroring the exhibition’s layout of five galleries, the volume is divided into five sections. The first section focuses on the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods; the second, the Bronze Age, the first dynasties, and early writing; the third, the imperial system and power; the fourth, religion and performance; and the fifth, interregional trade and the Silk Routes. Each section also includes highlights containing brief stories on objects or themes in the hall, such as the famous Lanting Xu rubbing.
With chapters from a diverse set of international authors providing greater context and historical background, China: Visions through the Ages is a richly illustrated volume that allows visitors, curious readers, and China scholars alike a chance to have an enduring exchange with the objects featured in the exhibition and with their multifaceted histories.
faculty and students at UP were always so welcoming and willing to share their numerous and impor... more faculty and students at UP were always so welcoming and willing to share their numerous and important insights into Philippine archaeology and ethnography. Along with the graduate students in UIC's Anthropology Department, UP's archaeology students are unmatched in their enthusiasm and collegiality. In addition, I'd like to thank the staff of the Laoag Museum in Ilocos Norte for sharing their collections with me and guiding me as I visited potters in the iii
Papers by Lisa Niziolek
Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology, 2015
Although much historical work has been done on early trading networks in the South China Sea and ... more Although much historical work has been done on early trading networks in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean regions, few published projects have utilized the rich contributions that underwater archaeology can make to the study of such relationships and their intricacies. In this paper, I use the twelfth-thirteenth century <em>Java Sea Shipwreck </em>as a starting point to examine medieval maritime exchange networks and the production of trade goods in East and Southeast Asia during the early second millennium AD. Specifically, I report on the results of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis conducted at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago on a number of high-fired Chinese ceramics from the shipwreck. This geochemical analysis was undertaken in order to assess correlations between style and material and to identify potential kiln sites where the pieces were manufactured. By doing so, we can better understand the orga...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2019
This paper evaluates the use of portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) on glazes and pastes for sourc... more This paper evaluates the use of portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) on glazes and pastes for sourcing Chinese porcelains from the 12th-13th century Java Sea Shipwreck (JSW) collection at the Field Museum. Three types of qingbai (bluish-white) wares from the JSW collection were chosen for pXRF analysis. Samples from four kiln complexes in China—Jingdezhen, Dehua, Huajiashan, and Minqing, hypothesized to be potential sources of the shipwreck’s qingbai ceramics based on visual inspection—were also analyzed to establish reference groups. Results from kiln samples show that different kiln complexes can be clearly differentiated by pXRF analysis of glazes. Based on pXRF analysis of ceramic samples from the JSW, there appear to be four compositional groups, and each group closely matches one of the four kiln reference groups. These findings support the use of pXRF on glazes, especially when pastes are difficult to access, as a method for identifying the potential sources for overseas cargos found distant from production contexts for Chinese porcelains.
Forty-one ceramic boxes from the twelfth- or thirteenth-century Java Sea Shipwreck were analyzed ... more Forty-one ceramic boxes from the twelfth- or thirteenth-century Java Sea Shipwreck were analyzed at the Elemental Analysis Facility at Chicago's Field Museum using nondestructive portable x-ray fluorescence (PXRF).
Twenty-two samples have a qingbai-type glaze and nineteen are painted ware with painted black decorations originally covered by a lead-based green glaze. The goals of the analysis were to (1) test whether visually similar ceramics shared similar elemental compositions; (2) identify ceramics that might have been made at different kiln sites (or from different paste recipes); and (3) determine if compositional groups in the ceramic dataset differentiated using PXRF are archaeologically meaningful. Based on this study, although PXRF can be successfully
used to some degree to differentiate between different groups of qingbai-type ceramics, more research needs to be done on its applicability to painted ware pastes.
In this article we draw on suites of new information to reinterpret the date of the Java Sea Ship... more In this article we draw on suites of new information to reinterpret the date of the Java Sea Shipwreck. The ship was a Southeast Asian trading vessel carrying a large cargo of Chinese ceramics and iron as well as luxury items from outside of China, such as elephant tusks and resin. Initially the wreck, which was recovered in Indonesia, was placed temporally in the mid-to late 13th century based on a single radiocarbon sample and ceramic styles. We employ new data, including multiple radiocarbon dates and inscriptions found on some of the ceramics, to suggest that an earlier chronological placement be considered.
In this paper, I present some of the most recent research taking place on ceramics from the twelf... more In this paper, I present some of the most recent research taking place on ceramics from the twelfth- to thirteenth-century Java Sea Shipwreck collection housed at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The cargo was donated to the Museum in 1998/1999 by Pacific Sea Resources and includes an estimated 7,600 objects, representing a very small proportion of the original cargo. Although the ship itself was probably constructed in Indonesia, it was mainly carrying materials from China—mostly ceramics but also a significant amount of iron. The majority of the ceramics are light-green and light-blue glazed porcelain or stoneware bowls, however, there are also painted bottles and vases, heavily-potted basins and storage jars, and covered boxes with a whitish-blue glaze. Many of the bowls and covered boxes appear to be in the tradition of qingbai-ware, however, they were probably manufactured in Fujian province, near the port of Quanzhou. There are a small number of pieces included in the Museum’s shipwreck collection that appear to be authentic qingbai made at Jingdezhen.
A number of blocks of resinous materials were found in the cargo of a 12th- to 13th-century shipw... more A number of blocks of resinous materials were found in the cargo of a 12th- to 13th-century shipwreck, discovered in the late 1980s in the Java Sea near the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java and excavated in 1996. These well-preserved blocks presumably were trade materials used for religious, medicinal, cosmetic, decorative or practical purposes. Such materials, derived from plants and termed exudates, generally include frankincense, myrrh, ‘gum benjamin’, liquidambar, dragon’s blood, dammar, copal and amber. The source of the cargo resin could not be determined from the site. Investigation by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has revealed that the molecular structure corresponds to that of modern resin from the plant family Dipterocarpaceae, known in trade as dammar and closely resembling Group B copal and amber. Other molecular classes of exudates are excluded. Such materials are not present in the Middle East, which then cannot be their source. The NMR spectra differ from those of Group B samples from Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, but resemble those from India or Japan. The spectra indicate that the saline environment had a similar effect on the molecular structure to heating and aging.
Bulletin of Chinese Ceramic Art and Archaeology (2015; No. 6:37-41)
Investigations have been undertaken to assess the extent to which compositional analysis can be u... more Investigations have been undertaken to assess the extent to which compositional analysis can be used to determine trade and interaction on the Great Hungarian Plain during the Late Neolithic. Ceramic and clay samples in the Körös and Berettyó River Basins were analyzed at the Elemental Analysis Facilities (EAF) at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL, USA. With the use of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), the aim of the project was to ascertain if micro-regional or site-specific compositional signatures could be determined in a region that is typically characterized as highly geologically homogenous. Identifying site-specific signatures enables archaeologists to model prehistoric interactions and, in turn, determine the relationship between interaction and various socio-cultural changes. This paper focuses on the preliminary compositional results of materials analyzed from three different sites across the Plain and the methodological implications for future anthropological research in the region.
Although significant historical research has been done on traditional Southeast Asian kingdoms an... more Although significant historical research has been done on traditional Southeast Asian kingdoms and chiefdoms, little archaeological work has been undertaken on changes in the economic systems of pre-colonial maritime societies in Asia, especially on the role of specialised craft production in the development of pre-modern complex societies. This project examines changes in the organisation of earthenware production in the prehispanic coastal polity of Tanjay in the Philippines (A.D. 500-1600). More than 250 earthenware pieces from six archaeological sites from the Tanjay region were analysed using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) at Chicago's Field Museum. Ceramic samples were drawn from two residential zones in central Tanjay, an elite neighborhood and a non-elite area; two secondary settlements located several kilometers upriver; an upland, swidden farming site; and a contemporaneous, and likely competing, coastal polity 40 km down the coast from Tanjay. Initially, it was expected that changes in the pattern of earthenware production in the Tanjay region would favour one scenario or the other -either continued production at dispersed, local sites or increased specialised and centralised production. So far, however, the preliminary ceramic compositional evidence indicates that both scenarios seem to have been taking place during the centuries prior to Spanish contact. Ceramic production appears to have continued on a local level, with potters from each site making pottery to be used by nearby inhabitants, but there also is evidence that sites, such as the elite Tanjay neighborhood, began to make ceramics expressly for local consumption by elites and for foreign trade.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013
This paper presents the results of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (L... more This paper presents the results of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) analysis of low-fired earthenware from the prehispanic trading polity of Tanjay (c. A.D. 500e1600) in the central Philippines. The goal of this project was to determine whether or not the compositional analysis of ceramics could be used to examine the organization of pottery production and exchange relationships in the Bais-Tanjay region of Negros Island. Results indicate that at least five distinct groups of ceramics can be differentiated based on elemental compositions and that pottery production was both a part-time, dispersed endeavor and a full-time, likely centralized, craft. In addition, a number of compositional outliers in the ceramic dataset suggest that interregional trade took place, with pottery made outside the Bais-Tanjay region being imported, especially by upland swidden farmers.
Conference Presentations by Lisa Niziolek
Compositional analysis of plain earthenware from the maritime Philippine trading polity of Tanjay... more Compositional analysis of plain earthenware from the maritime Philippine trading polity of Tanjay (A.D. 500 to 1600) suggests that the organization of pottery production underwent significant changes in the mid- to late second millennium, transforming from a primarily dispersed craft to a more centralized industry focused at the coastal port. This centralization was accompanied by increased trade with China, heightened inter-polity competition through slave raiding and ritual feasting, and agricultural intensification. Previous geochemical investigations at Tanjay focused on undecorated pieces, however, archaeological, ethnographic, and ethnohistoric research shows that decorated earthenware served as prestige items in Philippine societies and would have been important symbols of identity and status. To examine aspects of production related to fancy earthenware, we recently added compositional data from 33 decorated pieces to our database. Although decorative styles were often shared between polities, it appears, based on technological attributes such as temper type, that each polity manufactured its own decorated pieces. The question of whether these pieces were made at a centralized location by specialists within each polity or if vessels were produced at dispersed locales, however, remains unanswered. Geochemical characterization using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry of a selection of decorated sherds from the Tanjay region will determine if multiple production sites or workshops were used. Analysis also will help discern whether or not fancy and mundane earthenwares were made from the same clays or recipes, further illuminating the organization of craft production and other economic, social, and political changes that occurred in the prehispanic Philippines.
Documents by Lisa Niziolek
Among the more than 7,500 fragments from the Java Sea shipwreck that reside in Chicago's Field Mu... more Among the more than 7,500 fragments from the Java Sea shipwreck that reside in Chicago's Field Museum are corroded lumps of iron, exported from China for use as weapons or agricultural tools in Southeast Asia; button-like weights used on merchants' scales; barnacle encrusted chunks of aromatic resin and crumbling ivory; and thousands upon thousands of ceramic wares. Each ancient object has its own history and context, but it was a tiny inscription on one that helped researchers unlock the mystery behind this wreck—or so they thought. Etched on only two ceramic containers, the words " Jianning Fu " gave the lidded box a specific provenance. When anthropologist Lisa Niziolek first saw the writing in 2012, she realized that the city name only existed in that form for a brief window of time: " Fu " designated Jianning as a Southern Song dynasty superior prefecture beginning in 1162. By 1278, the city had changed to Jianning Lu, a new designation bestowed by the invading Mongol leader, Kublai Khan.
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Books by Lisa Niziolek
At the entrance of The Field Museum’s Cyrus Tang Hall of China, two Chinese stone guardian lions stand tall, gazing down intently at approaching visitors. One lion’s paw rests upon a decorated ball symbolizing power, while the other lion cradles a cub. Traditionally believed to possess attributes of strength and protection, statues such as these once stood guard outside imperial buildings, temples, and wealthy homes in China. Now, centuries later, they guard this incredible permanent exhibition.
China’s long history is one of the richest and most complex in the known world, and the Cyrus Tang Hall of China offers visitors a wonderful, comprehensive survey of it through some 350 artifacts on display, spanning from the Paleolithic period to present day. Now, with China: Visions through the Ages, anyone can experience the marvels of this exhibition through the book’s beautifully designed and detailed pages. Readers will gain deeper insight into The Field Museum’s important East Asian collections, the exhibition development process, and research on key aspects of China’s fascinating history. This companion book, edited by the exhibition’s own curatorial team, takes readers even deeper into the wonders of the Cyrus Tang Hall of China and enables them to study more closely the objects and themes featured in the show. Mirroring the exhibition’s layout of five galleries, the volume is divided into five sections. The first section focuses on the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods; the second, the Bronze Age, the first dynasties, and early writing; the third, the imperial system and power; the fourth, religion and performance; and the fifth, interregional trade and the Silk Routes. Each section also includes highlights containing brief stories on objects or themes in the hall, such as the famous Lanting Xu rubbing.
With chapters from a diverse set of international authors providing greater context and historical background, China: Visions through the Ages is a richly illustrated volume that allows visitors, curious readers, and China scholars alike a chance to have an enduring exchange with the objects featured in the exhibition and with their multifaceted histories.
Papers by Lisa Niziolek
Twenty-two samples have a qingbai-type glaze and nineteen are painted ware with painted black decorations originally covered by a lead-based green glaze. The goals of the analysis were to (1) test whether visually similar ceramics shared similar elemental compositions; (2) identify ceramics that might have been made at different kiln sites (or from different paste recipes); and (3) determine if compositional groups in the ceramic dataset differentiated using PXRF are archaeologically meaningful. Based on this study, although PXRF can be successfully
used to some degree to differentiate between different groups of qingbai-type ceramics, more research needs to be done on its applicability to painted ware pastes.
Conference Presentations by Lisa Niziolek
Documents by Lisa Niziolek
At the entrance of The Field Museum’s Cyrus Tang Hall of China, two Chinese stone guardian lions stand tall, gazing down intently at approaching visitors. One lion’s paw rests upon a decorated ball symbolizing power, while the other lion cradles a cub. Traditionally believed to possess attributes of strength and protection, statues such as these once stood guard outside imperial buildings, temples, and wealthy homes in China. Now, centuries later, they guard this incredible permanent exhibition.
China’s long history is one of the richest and most complex in the known world, and the Cyrus Tang Hall of China offers visitors a wonderful, comprehensive survey of it through some 350 artifacts on display, spanning from the Paleolithic period to present day. Now, with China: Visions through the Ages, anyone can experience the marvels of this exhibition through the book’s beautifully designed and detailed pages. Readers will gain deeper insight into The Field Museum’s important East Asian collections, the exhibition development process, and research on key aspects of China’s fascinating history. This companion book, edited by the exhibition’s own curatorial team, takes readers even deeper into the wonders of the Cyrus Tang Hall of China and enables them to study more closely the objects and themes featured in the show. Mirroring the exhibition’s layout of five galleries, the volume is divided into five sections. The first section focuses on the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods; the second, the Bronze Age, the first dynasties, and early writing; the third, the imperial system and power; the fourth, religion and performance; and the fifth, interregional trade and the Silk Routes. Each section also includes highlights containing brief stories on objects or themes in the hall, such as the famous Lanting Xu rubbing.
With chapters from a diverse set of international authors providing greater context and historical background, China: Visions through the Ages is a richly illustrated volume that allows visitors, curious readers, and China scholars alike a chance to have an enduring exchange with the objects featured in the exhibition and with their multifaceted histories.
Twenty-two samples have a qingbai-type glaze and nineteen are painted ware with painted black decorations originally covered by a lead-based green glaze. The goals of the analysis were to (1) test whether visually similar ceramics shared similar elemental compositions; (2) identify ceramics that might have been made at different kiln sites (or from different paste recipes); and (3) determine if compositional groups in the ceramic dataset differentiated using PXRF are archaeologically meaningful. Based on this study, although PXRF can be successfully
used to some degree to differentiate between different groups of qingbai-type ceramics, more research needs to be done on its applicability to painted ware pastes.