Chasing Tlaloc and Dragonflies in the Mimbres Valley: An Analysis of Ceramic Distribution and Style

Summary

Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures were common design elements on Classic Mimbres ceramics. However, certain forms and motifs were more widely used than others. During the 2016 field season at the Elk Ridge Ruin, a bowl with a Tlaloc figure was recovered from a burned ramada area, and a sherd with a partial dragonfly was found in one of the pueblo rooms. While both of these figures were included on rock art panels, they were infrequent on ceramics. This paper examines the presence of dragonflies and Tlaloc figures on ceramics through time and space within the Mimbres Valley. Site reports and Mimbres ceramic databases were consulted to gather an inventory of ceramic vessels and sherds where either of these images occurred. This allowed for a visual analysis of styles and a means of gathering geographic data to map the sites in which these artifacts were recovered. Distribution patterns coupled with stylistic similarities and differences may help resolve the question regarding why these particular figures were used.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• A Flurry of Field Schools in the Upper Gila and Mimbres Drainages   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14617