All of the editors of this volume have often been occupied (if not preoccupied) with ceramic artifact identification and cataloguing.We have participated in workshops and symposia in several venues and have all spent time sorting, categorizing, and dating ceramics.We urgently (and selfishly) felt there was a distinct need for a volume with a Western perspective, one containing original essays in addition to particularly useful primary and secondary sources.The dilemma facing us was to find succinct reference information that would not only cover the broad spectrum of ceramic forms but also target what we were actually finding in California's archaeological sites. Essays chosen for this volume emphasize identifying ceramics and gathering relevant information for the identification and cataloging process.
