Ceramic: Mesa Verde Black-on-white, bowl, AMNH 29.0/6748

Summary

Mesa Verde Black-on-white, bowl, AMNH Accession 29.0, Catalog #6748, Morris FS 358. Analyzed by Lori Reed 2004. Temper is granular igneous rock indicating local production at Aztec. Bowl is slightly warped and drying stress cracks are visible. Bowl is almost 100% complete with minimal restoration and reconstruction with unknown plaster material. Measurements: 32.5 x 26.6 cm orifice dimensions, 14.5 cm height. Image AMNH 29.0/6748 A: interior design view. Image AMNH 29.0/6748 B: view of exterior base showing hard surface wear. Image AMNH 29.0/6748 C: closeup of exterior design. Image AMNH 29.0/6748 D: closeup of exterior showing stress cracks. Image AMNH 29.0/6748 E: closeup of interior design. Recovered from Earl Morris excavation of Kiva D, Aztec West Ruin. Morris describes Kiva D as having “been burned before its original contents were removed….Quantities of charcoal covered the floor. The adobe from the roof was fused in places and in others burned to the consistency of brick. The space above was filled by fallen masonry” (Earl Morris 1916-1923 unpublished “Kiva Notes”; on file at Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, New Mexico). Morris (1924:212) also indicates that the bodies of four individuals were in the kiva at the time of burning. “Pottery vessels and other objects were scattered about on the floor and on the banquettes as if left where convenience dictated by those accustomed to frequent the chamber” (Morris 1924:212). Reference: Earl Morris, 1924, Burials in the Aztec Ruin and the Aztec Ruin Annex, Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History Vol. XXVI, Parts III and IV, American Museum of Natural History, New York.

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1110 to 1140 (Late Chacoan)

Calendar Date: 1140 to 1280 (Post-Chacoan)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Lori Reed; Gary Brown

Contributor(s): Aztec Ruins National Monument

Repository(s): American Museum of Natural History

Record Identifiers

American Museum of Natural History(s): Accession 29.0

Notes

Rights & Attribution: Artifact was collected from Aztec West Ruin excavations by Earl Morris between 1916 and 1922. Morris' excavations were sponsored and funded by the American Museum of Natural History, New York.

Rights & Attribution: High resolution images of the item are archived and available to researchers through the National Park Service, Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Rights & Attribution: Publication or use of the image is restricted; permission may be obtained through consultation with American Museum of Natural History and Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Source Collections

Original Item: American Museum of Natural History, New York

Image: NPS, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, New Mexico

Related Comparative Collections

Aztec Ruins Collections housed at Hibben Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Aztec Ruins Collections housed at American Museum of Natural History, New York

Aztec Ruins Collections housed at Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec, New Mexico

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