First posted by C. Dean Wilson 2014

Gila Red Ware was defined by Gladwin and Gladwin (1930), and refers to red slipped utility wares exhibiting characteristics common in Salado period sites across wide areas the Southwest. This type seems to be most commonly referred to pottery common in late or Classic period sites in the Hohokam Culture Area (Wood 1987). A possible variation of this type, assumed to have been produced in areas of the eastern portion of Salado region, has been described as Cliff Red as defined by Nelson and LeBlanc (1986). Similar pottery has sometimes been described simply in descriptive terms such as Plain Slipped Red (Wilson 1998).

Exterior surfaces in such red wares range from brown to gray. Paste ranges from brown to red, and reflect the use of iron rich clays. Temper consists of fine volcanic clastic inclusions. These red wares are characterized by the application of a thick deep-red slip over the exterior surface (Nelson and LeBlanc 1986; Wilson 1998). Vessel forms are mainly represented by jars but may include bowls. Slipped surfaces are highly polished. Bowls interiors are often smudged black and highly polished. This type is similar to pottery assigned to Playas Plain Red.

References:
Gladwin, Winifred and Harold S. Gladwin
1930 Some Southwestern Pottery Types: Series II. Medallion Papers No. 7, Gila Pueblo, Globe.

Nelson, Ben A., and Steven LeBlanc
1986 Short-Term Sedentism in the American Southwest: The Mimbres Valley Salado. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.

Wilson, C. Dean
1998 Ormand Ceramic Analysis Part I: Methodology and Categories. In The Ormand Village: Final Report on the 1965-1966 Excavation, by L.T. Wallace, pp. 195-252. Office of Archaeological Studies Archaeology Notes 229, Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe.

Wood, J. Scott
1987 Checklist of Pottery Types for the Tonto National Forest: An Introduction to the Archaeological Ceramics of Central Arizona. The Arizona Archaeologist No. 21. The Arizona Archaeological Society, Phoenix.

Related Photos

Gila (Cliff) Plain Slipped Red jar

Gila (Cliff) Plain Slipped Red jar

Gila (Clff) Plain Slipped Red Smudged jar