Hopkins and Hanson Swarded 2022 Martin-Orrell Grant
Kelsey Hanson
Congratulations to Maren Hopkins (M.A. 2012) and her collaborator Kelsey Hanson (Ph.D. candidate) on winning the 2022 Martin-Orrell Grant from the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS). This annual $5,000 award is named in honor of two of AAHS members who left substantial bequests to the Society. Hopkins and Hanson will work with the legendary Mata Ortiz potter, Juan Quezada. While much attention has been given to the “product” of Juan Quezada’s pottery, there is much to learn about the "process." Drawing upon ethnographic and archaeometric methods, the project will characterize Mr. Quezada’s clay procurement and processing techniques. Ethnographic interviews will focus on recording Mr. Quezada’s deep knowledge of the earth—its clays and pigments—that serve as the foundation of his artistry. Combining this with archaeometric techniques to characterize Mr. Quezada’s clays at various steps of his pottery production practice, this project will offer unique insights into the chemical transformations of clay in pottery production.