First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2012


Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome was defined by Mera (1933). This type refers to glaze ware forms exhibiting characteristics transitional between the earliest Little Colorado or Zuni region glaze ware and Rio Grande Glaze A types. This type represents the first intentionally glazed pottery produced in the regions of the Rio Grande. It appears to have developed out of glaze ware types such as St Johns and Heshotauthla Polychrome and is distinguished from these early types produced in areas to the west by paste colors more typical of Rio Grande types (Warren and Snow 1976; Wiseman 2014). Los Padillas is not well-dated, but appears to be associated with the earliest Glaze A period occupations dating sometime during the early 14th century.

Pastes tend to be gray to reddish and temper consists of crushed sherd. Similar pottery with fine-grained, cream-colored pastes and sherd temper are considered to have a western origin and are typed as Heshotauthla Polychrome. The appearance of this type in areas along the southern portions of the Middle Rio Grande sometime during the thirteenth century appears to reflect the immediate influences of immigrants from the Zuni or Little Colorado area. Pottery assigned to this type is almost exclusively represented by bowls exhibiting glaze A rims. Both surfaces are well polished and covered with an orange to red slip. Both surfaces tend to be decorated with black, dark, brown, or green glaze paint. Exterior surfaces also contain decorations in white clay paint. Interior designs consist of geometric designs which include step figures, pendants, hatching, and broad and narrow designs, similar to those noted for the Tularosa style.

References:
Mera, H. P.
1933 A Proposed Revision of the Rio Grande Glaze Paint Sequence. Laboratory of Anthropology Technical Series Bulletin No. 5. Santa Fe.

Warren, A., Helene and David H. Snow
1976 Section C: Formal Descriptions of Rio Grande Glazes from LA 70. In Archaeological Excavations at Pueblo del Encierro, LA 70, Cochiti Dam Salvage Project, Cochiti New Mexico, Final Report: 1964-1965 Field Seasons, edited by D. H. Snow, pp. C1-C34. Laboratory of Anthropology Notes No. 78, Santa Fe.

Wiseman Regge N.
2014 Introduction to Mera’s “Ceramic Clues to the Prehistory of North Central New Mexico. In Since Mera: The Original Eleven Bulletins, With Essays and Opinions Derived from Recent Research, edited by E. J Brown, R. N. Wiseman and Rory P. Gauthier, pp 197-223. Archaeological Society of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Related Photos

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome bowl sherds (interior surface)

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome bowl sherds (exterior surface)

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome bowl sherds (interior surface)

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome bowl sherds (exterior surface)

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome (top view)

Los Padillas Glaze Polychrome (side view)