Ware Name: Mogollon Brown Ware

First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2012

Mogollon Brown Ware refers here to pottery constructed of self-tempered, volcanic-derived clays with high iron content, common throughout the Mogollon Highlands (Wilson 1999). The great majority of Mogollon brown ware pottery does not display painted decoration, although Starkweather Smudged is decorated with faint designs. Brown ware pastes are somewhat soft, and sherds often break along an even plane. Pastes of Mogollon brown ware types consistently fired to yellow-red or red when exposed to a controlled oxidization atmosphere. The majority of brown ware forms produced in the Mogollon Highlands contained temper dominated by small angular particles of volcanic rock and sand particles. Lower frequencies of brown ware contained similar inclusions that were dominated by tuff or sand particles. Alluvial clays occurring throughout this area fired to similar colors, indicating the use of local self-tempered clays. Brown wares may be unpolished, polished, smudged, and exhibit a variety of textures. Mogollon Brown Ware may be assigned to specific types primarily based on differences in textured surface treatment and texture. For most components, the majority of Mogollon brown ware is polished with plain surfaces although forms exhibiting a wide range of exterior textures occur in increasingly higher frequencies in assemblages dating to later periods.

Related Types

• Alma Incised-Punched
• Alma Neckbanded
• Alma Polished Plain
• Alma Rough
• Alma Scored
• McDonalds Corrugated
• Reserve Incised Corrugated/Smudged
• Reserve Indented Corrugated/Smudged
• Reserve Plain Corrugated/Smudged
• Reserve Plain Smudged
• Seco Corrugated
• Starkweather Smudged Decorated
• Three Circle Neckcoiled
• Tularosa Fillet Rim Smudged
• Tularosa Patterned Corrugated/Smudged