Ceramic supports and receptacles for incense burning of Mexico were studied to ascertain trade in the area. Paste composition is accorded special importance to determine manufacturing centers: compositional data are derived through sampling that is successively less extensive but more intensive (binocular examination, spectrography and neutron activation). Data reduction is achieved by a related set of vector, manipulative techniques. The resulting paste compositional reference units are evaluated by correlation with petrographic and archaeological information. See 19-870. -- AATA