Materials and Methods

• Ancient New Mexico pottery typically consisted of clay collected either along streams and hillsides, or closely guarded secret locations. Some Indian cultures ground the shard remains of previous pots into the clay to form stronger vessels. Methods of making pottery varied by tribe. The coiling method involved shaping clay into long coils that were then used to build the vessel wall. The pinching method required pounding the clay against stone, then shaping and pinching it into the final shape. The finished pot was the flame fired. Some of the earliest pots found had the textured mark of baskets, leading archaeologists to believe pots might have been built around baskets.
  
  

Navajo Pottery

• The Navajo women have been making pottery for ceremonial and household uses for hundreds of years. Not traditionally artistic, Navajo pottery was unpainted and largely unadorned. It is believed the strict behavioral regulations medicine men imposed on pottery makers is reflected in the conservative look of their pots. Made from mixing several clays together, Navajo pottery did not contain ground shards of old pots, as they believed the shards belonged to their forefathers and should be left in the ground. Early Navajo style pottery was fabricated in a coil and pinch manner and placed in an open bonfire. The unique, shiny brown look and distinctive aroma of the pots was established by rubbing a thin coating of hot melted pitch made from pinon trees inside and out of the pot.
  
  

Pueblo Indian Pottery

• Most widely known for their black on white pottery, the Pueblo Indians are believed to be descendants of the 7,000 year old Anasazi. The Anasazi existed as a nomadic, hunter-gatherer tribe until around 700 A.D., when they began settling down, building villages at the top of mesas and inside hollowed out natural caves. It was at this time that they also began planting maize and other crops. Through a need for better storage devices, the women of the Anasazi began making pottery. Clay prospected from secret ancestral clay sources provided the material necessary for the Pueblo Indians to produce their pottery. Pots were smoothed, creating a burnished background that accommodated intricate designs sacred to the Pueblo. These designs, which varied from pueblo to pueblo, were painted on pots using finely ground metallic rocks and pigments created from boiled plant residue. The chewed ends of twigs and yucca fronds were cut and shaped into brushes. The pots were hardened using an open outdoor bonfire.
  
  

Hopi Indian Pottery

• Hopi pottery evolved as the result of a switch from nomadic to sedentary culture. Original called the Basketmaker People, the Hopi used handwoven baskets as storage and for transportation of goods because they were durable, lightweight and easy to carry. As they began to settle and establish crops, the permanence afforded the Hopi opportunity to produce heavier, more durable containers made from clay. From 800 to 1300 A.D., Hopi pottery was made solely for function and featured monochrome coloring and design. The Sikyatki period, from 1400 to 1600 A.D., featured polychrome designs on white backgrounds. The inquisitions and Pueblo revolts of the 1600s interrupted this period. The Revival Period occurred in the late 1800s, when Jesse Walter Fewkes unearthed several pots and shards from the Sikyatki period, inspiring Hopi to continue the traditions and designs of their ancestors.