Composition and origin of material in pre-columbian pottery,San Salvador Island,Bahamas

Thin-section analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that pre-Columbian Indian pottery of San Salvador Island, Bahamas is composed of angular fragments of invertebrate shells bound by clay and quartz. The source of the clay and quartz apparently was soil formed from dust accumulating over thousands of years by atmospheric deposition of material transported from North Africa. No evidence of biogenic siliceous material is found in pottery sherds native to the island. An atmospheric origin for the clay and quartz is supported strongly by clay/quartz ratios and quartz particle sizes in atmospheric dust presently being transported from North Africa compared to a soil (paleosol?) sample from Pigeon Creek Indian Site, San Salvador Island.