Ancient Southwest Pottery & Art

The Southwest's native tribes created pottery and art.

The Native American people who originally lived on the North American continent made the earliest American art. In the Southwest, these were the Pueblo Indians, who lived in different tribes, according to specific geographical areas. Variations in the type of work produced vary according to region, time period and the functional use of the piece.

Significance

The Pueblo Indians who made the earliest pottery in prehistoric Southwest America were forging these pots and jars for utilitarian purposes, such as the storage, preparation and transportation of food and water. Occasionally, pieces were produced for ceremonial purposes. It was not until the 20th century that people began to view this pottery as a valuable traditional art form. At this point, art dealers and art collectors spurred an interest in ancient Southwest pottery.

Techniques

As the Native Americans are not known to have invented the potter's wheel, ancient Southwest pottery and art was made by hand, using a variety of inventive techniques. Sculptural modeling, paddling, press molding and coiling were all commonly employed. Rather than firing the clay pottery in kilns, the Native Americans would dig holes in the earth, cover it with wood and light it on fire, at which point it would harden once temperatures of 1,400 degrees F were reached.

Geography

Ancient Southwestern pottery and art was made by the ancestral and historic Pueblo cultures that inhabited that region of the present-day United States and parts of Mexico. Prominent sites include the Four Corners area (the place where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado converge on the map); the Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico; the Mogollon Mountains of New Mexico; northwestern Mexico, near the modern state of Chihuahua; the area surrounding the Fremont River in the state of Utah; and the area surrounding Taos, New Mexico.

Features

In the Mimbres region, fine hand-painted black and white bowls were produced, most likely for ceremonial occasions such as burials. The Hohokams produced clay ceramics that were painted red, were hand decorated or left plain. The Casas Grandes area near Chihuahua has been the site of discovery of a number of impressive red and black painted pots, jars and ornamental figures with both figurative and abstract designs. Ancient rock art has been found in the area along the Fremont River.

Time Frame

According to "Southwestern Pottery" authors Allan Hayes and John Blom, Southwestern pottery and art is delineated by the following time periods: Basketmaker II, 50 BC to 450 AD; Basketmaker III, 450 BC to 700 AD; Pueblo I, 700 to 900; Pueblo II, 900 to 1100; Pueblo III, 1100 to 1300; and Pueblo IV, 1300 to 1600.

References

• "Mimbres Pottery: Ancient Art of the American Southwest"; J.J. Brody; 1983
• "Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni"; Allan Hayes and John Blom; 1996