First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2012

Puerco Black-on-red was named by Gladwin (1934) and described by Hawley (1934). This type is assigned to early White Mountain Red Ware forms exhibiting solid painted styles (Carlson 1970; Hays-Gilpin and van Hartesveldt). Puerco Black-on-red appears to have been produced from A.D. 1030 to 1150.

Paste is hard, crumbly, and may be light brown, gray, or orange color. Temper is dominated by similar colored relatively large sherd fragments and sometimes occasional sand fragments. Both surfaces of bowls and exteriors of jars are covered by a well-polished dark red to maroon slip. Decorations are applied on the slipped surface in a black to brownish mineral pigment. While the range of characteristics of pigment on pottery assigned to this type has sometimes resulted in the pigment being characterized as black mineral or organic pigment, characterizations based on XRF analysis indicates the use of copper. Designs consist of combinations of lines and solid elements organized in bands. Designs often consist of lines that create repeated panels. Hatched elements tend to be absent. Panels are usually divided by a series of parallel lines. Elements making up the panels tend to be bold and simple and include wide checkered squares, interlocking frets, triangles, dots, stepped triangles, scroll triangles, and scrolls. Vessel forms are most commonly represented by bowls but also include jars, pitchers, dippers, canteens, and effigies. Puerco Polychrome refers to bowls exhibiting similar styles as noted for Puerco Black-on-red but with exterior designs executed in white clay paint. These usually consist of broad parallel white lines usually organized in chevron, rectilinear or scroll patterns.

References:
Carlson, Roy L.
1970 White Mountain Redware Pottery Tradition of East-Central New Mexico. Anthropological Papers of the University of Arizona, No. 19. University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Gladwin, Harold, S.
1934 A Method for the Designation of Cultures and Their Variants. Medallion Papers No. 15, Globe.

Hawley, Florence M.
1934 The Significance of Dated Prehistory of Chetro Ketl, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. University of New Mexico Bulletin 1, Albuquerque.

Hays-Gilpin, Kelley., and Eric van Hartesveldt
1998 Prehistoric Ceramics of the Puerco Valley: The 1995 Chambers-Sanders Trust Lands Ceramic Conference. Museum of Northern Arizona Ceramic Series No.7. The Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff.

Related Photos

Puerco Black-on-red bowl sherds

Puerco Black-on-red bowl

Puerco Black-on-red bowl

Puerco Black-on-red bowl

Puerco Black-on-red bowl

Puerco Black-on-red bowl sherds

Puerco Black-on-red bowl sherds

Puerco Black-on-red pitcher