Snakeskin and Corn Markings: The Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern in the U.S. Southwest

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The dotted-diamond-grid pattern first appears on the textiles and pottery of the southwestern United States in the mid-AD 1000s or early AD 1100s. Fifteenth-century kiva murals from the northern Southwest confirm the importance of this design system for decorating ceremonial cloth prior to Spanish contact. In this paper we use evidence from textiles, ceramics, rock art, and other media to explore the spread of the dotted-diamond-grid pattern into the Southwest, from its ancient Middle American roots based on reptiles, water, maize agriculture, and fertility, to its incorporation into southwestern ideologies and persistence in ritual practice.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32025