Pottery and Pigments in Arizona: Salado Polychrome

Abstract

Salado-polychrome ceramics, marked by distinctive black on white with red designs (Figure 1), coincided with the development of platform-mound communities and were the result of an amalgamation of technological traditions that occurred during a time of population movements and cultural changes in the prehistoric American Southwest. Saladopolychrome ceramics were the most abundant decorated ware of the Classic period (A.D. 1275–1450) and have been recovered from sites in central Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Chihuahua, including the site of Casas Grandes. Several archaeologists have interpreted Salado-polychrome designs as symbols of a regional cult (Adams, Crown, Rice) that eased the integration of diverse populations in times of migration and social stress. The color scheme and designs of Salado polychrome are distinctive compared to other contemporary and earlier ceramics, making definition of its development difficult.

Prehistoric Anasazi ceramics studied by micro‐Raman spectroscopy

“…The Anasazis settled in the southwestern United States during the Archaic Period (1-500 AD). During the Classic Period (late thirteenth century) the population of Anasazi abandoned their settlements 18 and fused with the Zuni lands (western New Mexico) and Hopi mesas (northeastern Arizona). 16 The reasons of the great migration have been greatly debated.…”

“…15,16 To illustrate the ceramic production technique, it is important to realize that the use of the potter's wheel was unknown to prehistoric people of the Southwest. 18,19 They used a simple coiling method to make the pots. The principle of pot formation consisted in placing narrow coils of clay on top of each other.…”

“…The rough pot form was scraped and smoothed with a piece of sandstone to create an even finish. The ceramics were fired in open fires or shallow pits, without using a kiln, 18,19 in a reducing or oxidizing atmosphere. Additionally, after the paint had been applied, a second firing at a lower temperature was carried out.…”

“…Additionally, after the paint had been applied, a second firing at a lower temperature was carried out. 18 To follow the temporal development, the earliest Anasazi ceramics were plain gray, brown and redware (¾600 AD), which was later (700-900 AD) elaborated into the most characteristic and distinctive Anasazi black-on-white ware. Finally, these wares were slowly replaced by black-on-red, black-on-orange, and polychrome types (from 900 AD).…”

Assessing Mexican pottery paint recipes using particle-induced X-ray emission

“…Other PIXE pigment studies confirm the use of red hematite in low-fire, oxidizing atmosphere are common in Southwest Salado paints, and differing methods of acquiring a black paint occur in Arizona (Simon, 1996;Simon et al, 1997;Gosser et al, 1998). Although not part of this study, XRD is often used to confirm the identification of mineral components in paints and clays (Ruvalcaba-Sil, 1999).…”