Pottery in the Northern Southwest is constructed by coiling ropes of clay and scraping the surface to obliterate the coils. Corrugated pottery, like the one featured here, is not scraped听smooth听on the exterior surface; instead, coils are pinched together, sometimes leaving听behind听fingerprints from their makers. This vessel, an olla,听was recovered near Aztec Ruins National Monument听in northern NM听and听dates back nearly 1000 years ago. Archaeologists believe it听was likely used for storage due to its large size.听The photo shows its base,听where the clay began to be coiled.听
The majority of archaeological research in the Southwest focuses on decorated pottery. In the past 10-20 years, researchers have started to recognize the ways in which corrugated vessel construction techniques could be used to understand identity as well. This is based on the idea that how we make pottery, especially the less obvious and conscious choices we make in the process, is based on who teaches us (鈥渃ommunities of practice鈥�). Using subtle differences in how corrugations were made has led to the identification of multiple social groups within Ancestral Puebloan communities.听听
This vessel that is housed in the Museum鈥檚 Anthropology Collection,听was reconstructed from numerous, small pieces of pottery (sherds). Where the individual sherds were found at an archaeological site can provide important information on the depositional practices within a community, including access to and relationships among rooms.听What is found within a space can provide information about who used that space and what was done there, helping to provide more insight into the lives of the distant ancestors of听today鈥檚 Native Americans.听听
Dr. Samantha听Fladd, a new听Curator of Archaeology and Assistant听Professor of Anthropology at听CU Boulder听utilizes听archival records and museum collections in her research听to tease out evidential and contextual information听about the听indigenous听peoples of the American Southwest. To learn more about the听fieldwork and听collaborative projects Dr.听Fladd听is听leading,听tune into episode #4 of our听Museum Unlocked,听podcast series.听
Name of object: Olla
Date collected and/or acquired: 1914
Time period made (or lived): Late 1000s through 1200s likely
General location found: 0.5 mi from Aztec Ruins National Monument (Northwestern NM)
Who found/studied it: Earl听Morris
Catalog number: 00149