First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2012

Tallahogan red was defined by Daifuku (1961). Pottery assigned to this type reflects a continuation of technologies associated with early red slipped pottery types produced in the Mogollon region such as those assigned to San Francisco Red, but with clay and temper resources from the Colorado Plateau commonly used by Anasazi potters. Tallahogan Red does not appear develop into any of the later red ware traditions. While the effect of the white paste and red slip in Tallahogan Red can superficially resemble later White Mountain red wares, it is easily distinguished from later red ware types on the basis of large sand temper rather than sherd and the absence of painted decorations.
While pottery that would be assigned to Tallahogan Red appears to have been produced from about A.D. 575 to 900, in most areas where it was produced it is most likely to occur at contexts dating to the earlier part of this span, or from about A.D. 575 to 750.

This type exhibits an unpainted red slip over a white to light gray clay paste and large added sand temper. Painted decorations are always absent. The slip tends to be fairly thick and is bright to deep red in color. Slipped surfaces are moderately to highly polished. While some examples were slipped on both surfaces, bowls assigned to this type were always slipped on at least the interior surface and jars were slipped on the exterior surface. Common forms noted for this type include seed jars and bowls. Pottery assigned to this type occur in Basketmaker III and Early Pueblo I period components in the Four Corners country (Daifuku 1961; Reed and others 1998), but tends to be very rare at all sites. Vessel forms are most commonly represented by seed jars and bowls although ollas are sometimes represented. While Tallahogan Red is never common in any assemblage, pottery exhibiting characteristics indicative of this type may occur in contexts across the Tusayan, Cibola, and Middle Rio Grande regions (Daifuku 1961; Reed and others 2000; Wilson 2011). Tallahogan Red can be distinguished from unpainted red wares produced in Mogollon regions by a paste and slip that contrast dramatically in cross sections of sherd walls. Tallahogan Red is similar and contemporaneous to Dolores Red which is distinguished from this type solely by the presence of crushed igneous rock temper indicative of production in the Mesa Verde region.

References:
Daifuku, Hiroshi
1961 A Report on the Excavations of a Basketmaker III-Pueblo I Sites in Northeastern Arizona. Papers of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Vol 33, No.1, Awatovi Expedition Reports, No. 7 Cambridge.

Reed, Lori C., Dean Wilson, and Kelley Hays-Gilpin
2000 From Brown to Gray; The Origins of Ceramic Technology in the Northen Southwest. In Foundations of Anasazi Culture: The Basketmaker-Pueblo Transition, edited by P.F. Reed, pp. 203-229. The University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City.

Wilson, C. Dean
2010 Pena Blanca Ceramics. In Excavations Along NM 22: Agricultural Adaptation from ad 500 to 1900 in the Northern Santo Domingo Basin, Sandoval County, New Mexico, compiled by S. L. Post and R. C. Chapman, pp. 13–144. Archaeology Notes, 385. Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe.

Related Photos

Tallhogan Red seed jar

Tallhogan Red bowl sherds

Tallahogan Red sherds