Life-Expectancy of Utilitarian Pottery in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacan, Mexico

Abstract Pottery life-expectancy has important archaeological implications for such problems as population sizes and duration of occupancy of sites. Specific data are here given from four contemporary Mexican village households on durability of several kinds of ware. The most important factors determining life-expectancy appear to be basic strength of the ware, functions of different types of vessels, handling practices, relative costs, and kinds of breakage. It may be inferred that similar factors determine life-expectancy in many contemporary and archaeological communities.