From the Inside: Paste Variation in Mogollon-Mimbres Ceramics from Woodrow Ruin in the

Upper Gila, New Mexico

Lori Barkwill Love University of Texas at San Antonio

79th Annual Meeting • Society for American Archaeology April 27, 2014 • Austin, TX

Mimbres Pottery

Illustrations from Cosgrove and Cosgrove 1932

Research Inspiration

This is not brown?

Transitional Black-on-white

1.  How much variation in ceramic paste is found within and between Mimbres pottery types at Woodrow?

2.  Does there appear to be any changes in ceramic paste over time at Woodrow?

Research Questions

Woodrow Ruin

Woodrow Ruin (LA 2454)

Map adapted from Lekson 1990

Kiva – Unit 12

Kiva

Unit 12

Map of the excavated structures at Woodrow courtesy of Jakob Sedig, University of Colorado

Distribution of Ceramic Types from Unit 12

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Freq

uenc

y

Mimbres Ceramic Types (N = 803)

Distribution of Ceramic Types in Sample

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Freq

uenc

y

Mimbres Ceramic Types (N = 243)

Original Paste Color Categories

Based on Munsell (2000) Color Charts

Distribution of Original Paste Color Groups

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Buff Brown 1 Brown 2 Red Light Gray Dark Gray

Freq

uenc

y

Original Paste Color Group

Ware Type

Utility

Decorated

Cross-Section Types

Same Throughout

One Edge Lighter

One Edge Darker

Half & Half

Core Lighter than Edges

Core Darker than Edges

Three Layers Four Layers

Distribution of Cross-Section Type

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Solid Throughout

One Edge Lighter

One Edge Darker

Half & Half Edges Darker than Core

Core Darker than Edges

3 Layers 4 Layers

Freq

uenc

y

Cross-Section Type

Ware Type

Utility

Decorated

(X2 = 10.7, p = .15)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Same Throughout

One Edge Lighter

One Edge Darker

Half & Half Edge Darker than Core

Core Darker than Edges

3 Layer 4 Layer

Freq

uenc

y

Cross-Section Type (N = 80)

Distribution of Cross-Section Type for Black-on-white

Classic (Style III)

Transitional (Style II)

Boldface (Style I)

Refired Paste Color Groups

Based on Munsell (2000) Color Charts

Distribution of Refired Paste Color Groups by Ware

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Buff Brown 1 Brown 2 Red

Freq

uenc

y

Refired Paste Color Group (N = 233)

Ware Type

Utility

Decorated

(X2 = 74.10, p < .0001)

Distribution of Paste Color Groups by Decorated Type

Buff

Brown 1

Brown 2

Red

Refired Paste Color Group

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Freq

uenc

y

Decorated Types (N = 128)

Mimbres Chronological Sequence Time Period Date Range A.D. Diagnostic Pottery

Style

Early Pithouse 200–750 San Francisco Red

Middle Pithouse 750–800/850 Mogollon Red-on-brown Three Circle Red-on-white

Late Pithouse 800/850–900/950 Boldface Black-on-white

Late Late Pithouse 880/950–1020/1050 Transitional Black-on-white

Classic 1000-1130 Classic Black-on-white

(Adapted from Gilman et al. 2014:Table 1)

Distribution of Refired Paste Color Group by Time Period

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

Early Pithouse Middle Pithouse Late Pithouse Late Late Pithouse Classic

Freq

uenc

y

Time Period (N - 128)

Buff

Brown 1

Brown 2

Red

4-Layer Cross Section Type

Transitional/Classic Black-on-white

Original cross section

Refired 800°C for 30 minutes

Refired 950° C for 30

minutes

1.  Different clay resources were likely used for decorated and utility wares

2.  Over time at Woodrow there appears to be a preference for lighter firing clays for decorated wares

3.  Potters were likely experimenting (intentionally or unintentionally) with various firing procedures

Preliminary Findings

  Jakob Sedig

  Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology, Santa Fe, New Mexico (owner of the Woodrow site)

  The Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio

  Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at San Antonio

Acknowledgements