First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2012

Mancos Corrugated was first defined by Abel (1955) and later redefined by Breternitz and others (1972) based mostly on rim shape. In this later definition Mancos Corrugated refers to corrugated vessels or rim sherds exhibiting little or no eversion (less than 30 degrees). They are associated with the earliest corrugated vessels, appearing in small quantities sometime prior to A.D. 930.

Mancos Corrugated replaced Mancos Gray during the last half of the tenth century, and it is the dominant gray ware type during the early eleventh century. Mancos Corrugated gradually developed into forms with greater eversion during the last half of the eleventh century and become rare after A.D. 1100 (Wilson and Blinman 1995). A low frequency of straight corrugated vessels continued to be produced, and Mancos Corrugated occurs in late Pueblo III assemblages. While it is not possible to consistently distinguish body sherds from Mancos Corrugated vessels, some trends in the textures of the early strait walled corrugated forms. Mancos Corrugated from Early Pueblo sites that are associated with neckbanded types and Cortez Black-on-white tend to exhibit a greater relief, as reflected by distinct rounded or protruding coils, in the corrugations as compared to later vessels that have sometimes been characterized as exuberant corrugated (Abel 1955). The transition from Mancos Gray to Mancos Corrugated, may also be reflected by vessels with corrugated necks with the lower area of the vessel obliterated. The range of treatments in corrugated pottery from Mancos Corrugated and more everted forms from later Pueblo II site associated with Mancos Black-on-white tend to be very variable (Reed 1958).

References:
Abel, Leland J.
1955 San Juan Red Ware, Mesa Verde Gray Ware, Mesa Verde White Ware and San Juan White Ware, Pottery Types of the Southwest: Wares 5A, 10A, 10B, 12A. Museum of Northern Arizona Ceramic Series 3B, Flagstaff.

Breternitz, David A., Arthur H. Rohn, Jr., and Elizabeth A. Morris
1974 Prehistoric Ceramics of the Mesa Verde Region. Museum of Northern Arizona Ceramic Series 5, Flagstaff.

Reed, Erik K.
1958 Excavation in Mancos Canyon, Colorado. University of Utah Anthropological Papers, No. 35. Salt Lake City.

Wilson, C. Dean, and Eric Blinman
1995 Ceramic Types of the Mesa Verde Region. In Archaeological Pottery of Colorado: Ceramic Clues to the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Lives of the State's Native Peoples, edited by R.H. Brunswig, B. Bradley, and S.M. Chandler, pp. 33-88. Colorado Council of Archaeologists Occasional Papers 2, Denver.

Related Photos

Mancos Corrugated jar

Mancos Corrugated jar

Mancos Corrugated jar

Mancos Corrugated jar sherd