The present paper is a careful study by Dr. Guthe of pottery making at San Ildefonso, a typical Pueblo Indian town on the Rio Grande, north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The field-work was undertaken in 1921 as part of an archaeological survey of the Southwest, that has been carried on for a number of years by the Department of Archaeology of Phillips Academy. From prehistoric archaeology to modern pottery making may seem a far cry, but in the Southwest the past merges almost imperceptibly into the p

The region most often visited for obtaining this clay is directly south of San Ildefonso, about a quarter of a mile from the village itself, in the arroyos of the low hills. [6] The deposit lies directly under a sandstone ledge and spreads over a considerable area. The clay is in the form of soft earth, easily scooped up with the hand. In gathering it the Indians first scrape off the top half-inch or so, which contains impurities such as small pebbles and twigs. When an area from two to three fe

These moulds are usually the bases of broken bowls or ollas. Occasionally pieces of pottery are made especially for moulds; in such cases, although they are fired, they are neither finished carefully nor decorated. When a mould is to be used, a small amount of temper or wood ashes is placed in it, so that the vessel being moulded will not stick to it. [18] These spoon-like implements ( pl. 11 ) are made from pieces of gourd-rind, usually from broken rattles or dippers. They vary greatly in size,

For the purpose of this report the vessels may be divided into four large groups: bowls, ollas, cooking vessels, and unusual shapes. With respect to size there are two classes of bowls: those less than four inches in diameter, and those larger than that size. In shape bowls may be either wide-mouthed ( pl. 6 , b, g) or constricted-mouthed ( pl. 6 , a, c). The ollas all have full, globular bodies and relatively small orifices with or without flaring lips (pls. 7, 15, a). As a rule, the cooking ve

The purpose of sun-drying is to allow the vessels to harden, and to remove all moisture before the work on them is completed. During sun-drying, which immediately follows moulding, the ability of the vessels to withstand some heat is also tested. Pieces made of improperly mixed clay are eliminated at this stage of the work, because of the cracks which develop (see under Temper, p. 21). The length of time allowed for sun-drying depends upon the weather and also upon the place where the vessels ar

The purpose of this process is twofold, to improve the surface of the vessel by removing the marks left by the kajepe and the puki, and to thin the sides, thus reducing the weight of the finished piece. It is usually begun the day following the completion of the moulding and sun-drying, unless other duties, such as planting, harvesting, and the like, force a postponement. Large vessels such as ollas are allowed to dry nearly forty-eight hours before they are scraped. At San Ildefonso vessels are

Up to this point all vessels are made in the same general manner. In the succeeding stages the treatment differs according to the type of decoration which is eventually to be applied. The making of the vessel has been completed, and the finishing is now begun. Just as the making is divided into three general processes—moulding, sun-drying, and scraping, so the finishing is similarly divided into slipping, painting, and firing. Slipping is the application of a very thin layer of clay to the surfa

Three varieties of paint are employed in making the designs—the black, or guaco, which is used on red and polychrome wares, the orange-red (also used as a slip), which serves as a paint in filling certain spaces in the designs upon polychrome ware, and the black ware paint which produces the designs upon polished black ware. [45] The consistency of the guaco, when dissolved in water and ready for use, varies from that of water to that of thick cream. The solution is sticky and has a characterist

The firing of the vessels is not only the last major step in the making of pottery, but it is also the most critical one. The supreme test of the potter’s work is to subject it to the fire, for many forms of accident occur during the process, some of them due to careless handling of the vessels or of the firing materials, others to defective workmanship or to hidden flaws in the paste. It is only natural that the potters should exhibit considerable excitement and nervousness during the firing. S

By means of the decorations on the vessels the potter expresses her personality. The type of design used by any one potter is very constant, and is distinctly individual. It is a comparatively easy matter, by an inspection of the design alone, to distinguish the vessels made by one potter from those of another. The designs are planned in several different ways. Maria Martinez sits with the bowl in her hands for a few minutes doing nothing; apparently she is working out in her mind the combinatio

Symbolism of one kind or another, plays a very important part in the existence of the Pueblo Indian. It is generally agreed that even the minor acts of everyday life have a certain religious symbolic meaning. For example, the gourd spoons, or kajepes, used in moulding pottery, must apparently be consecrated before they may be used. Similarly, a new technique in pottery making must pass through a period of consecration before it becomes completely established. On the other hand, white men often o

FOOTNOTES: [1] A brief history of Pecos, and a description of the work so far done at the site, are contained in “An Introduction to the Study of Southwestern Archaeology, with a Preliminary Account of the Excavations at Pecos”, by A. V. Kidder; No. 1 of the present series. [2] Kidder, 1924. [3] Kidder, M. A. and A. V., 1917, p. 330. [4] A searching study of San Ildefonso decoration has been made by K. M. Chapman of Santa Fe. When this is published it will throw much light on the morphology of P