Mohave Pottery Part 8

APPENDIX V

CORRELATION OF KROEBER AND HARNER SHAPE CLa.s.sES

_Kroeber_ _Harner_

Bowl I Platter II Bowl, deep III Cook pot IV Water jar V, VI Canteen VII Handled cup VIII, IX Handled jug X Spoon (scoop) XI-XVI Parcher XVII-XVIII

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1. Profile shape types. Exterior to left; section to right.]

PART II

A DESCRIPTION FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGIST

PARKER RED-ON-BUFF, FORT MOHAVE VARIANT AND PARKER BUFF, FORT MOHAVE VARIANT

BY

MICHAEL J. HARNER

INTRODUCTION

The following a.n.a.lysis of the Mohave pottery collected by Professor Kroeber is primarily for the use of the archaeologist to aid him in identifying historic Mohave ceramics. Not represented in the collection is pottery made by the Mohave south of Parker. Some typological differences may exist between the pottery of those settlements and the pottery in Kroeber's collection, which is from Mohave Valley. In addition, the evidence seems to indicate that Mohave ceramics were undergoing changes in the late historic period. Since the historic period can be considered to extend back to the time of the first Spanish contacts, other chronologically significant "historic" Mohave pottery types or type variants may be discerned through additional research. For these reasons "Fort Mohave" is introduced here as a variant or subtype name in preference to using "Historic Mohave" which is felt to be too inclusive a term.

In referring to historic Mohave pottery, Malcolm Rogers (1945, p. 179) once used the name "Needles Red-on-Buff." However, the description of Needles Red-on-Buff by Colton (1939, pp. 12-13) and the use of that type name by Schroeder (1952, p. 32) indicate that each has in mind a type distinguishable from the pottery described in this paper. At the same time, Schroeder (1952, p. 20) clearly considers that his Parker types include historic Mohave pottery within their typological range, and I am of the same opinion. The descriptions of Parker Red-on-Buff, Parker Buff, and Parker Stucco by Schroeder (1952, pp. 19-22) agree in basic characteristics with most of the pottery described in the present paper.

However, some forms which do not seem to occur prehistorically in the Lower Colorado Buff Ware, such as cups, ring bases and keels, are present in the late historic collection described here. Such new forms can be of definite use as chronological diagnostics, but it is difficult to justify setting up a new type on the basis of them alone.

Consequently, the qualification "Fort Mohave variant" has been added to the Parker type names to denote this late historic pottery complex. When more detailed descriptions are available for the earlier ceramics of the Parker Series, the typological contrast may prove to be of sufficient scope to warrant cla.s.sifying the Fort Mohave variants as full-fledged types. In any case, such descriptions must be made before useful comparisons can be attempted.

The description which follows does not include pottery figurines, toys, rattles, pipes, or pot rests. Also one undecorated jar[7] was not included in the study.

[7] UCMA no. 1/4297. Pl. 6,_i_.

Techniques of description used here are almost entirely based upon Colton and Hargrave (1937), Shepard (MS), and Gifford (1953); the latter paper being also the source of the paint permanency scale.[8] Color a.n.a.lysis is based upon the Munsell Soil Color Chart and hardness tests upon Moh's scale. Depth and diameter measurements refer to exterior dimensions.

[8] I wish to thank A. H. Schroeder. R. C. Euler, and H. S.

Colton for their constructive criticism of this description.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2. Rim and lip types. Interior to left; exterior to right.]

Since the size of the collection leaves much to be desired, particularly as regards Parker Buff, Fort Mohave variant, the writer wishes to emphasize that the definitions of these variants are only tentative and hopes that others will not hesitate to revise them in the light of additional evidence.

PARKER RED-ON-BUFF, FORT MOHAVE VARIANT

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

=Synonym=: None.

=Variant named for=: Fort Mohave Reservation.

=Ill.u.s.trations=: This publication.

=Type specimens=: Mohave pottery collection at the University of California Museum of Anthropology.

=Type sites=: All specimens were collected ethnographically on the Fort Mohave Reservation in the vicinity of Needles, California.

=Cultural a.s.sociation=: Historic Mohave.

=Time=: In use and collected during the years 1902 through 1908.

=Size of sample=: 33 bowls; 4 jars; 7 cups; and 29 scoops.

a.n.a.lYSIS

=Construction technique=: Coiling.

=Finishing technique=: Paddle and anvil.

=Firing=: Fully to incompletely oxidized.

=Paste=:

_Color._--Range: hue 2.5YR to 10R; value 6 to 7; chroma 4 to 6.

Most common: 2.5YR 6/5 (between a weak reddish orange and a weak orange.)

_Temper._--Size: average .4 mm. (fine); maximum 1.4 mm. (coa.r.s.e); minimum microscopic. Greatest range between average and maximum observed in a single vessel is .4 to 1.3 mm. Kind: predominantly white angular and subangular particles (feldspar) together with a small amount of white rounded particles (quartz). Some mica (copper-colored) is present, but except for a few vessels is hardly noticeable.[9] No sherd temper is visible. Amount: When seen in cross section the amount of the paste surface occupied by temper particles ranges from ca. 30 per cent to ca. 50 per cent; the average being ca. 40 per cent.

[9] Mineral identifications were kindly made by Dr. Adolf Pabst, Department of Geological Sciences, University of California.]

_Carbon streak._--None.

_Texture._--Rough.

_Hardness._--Where the paste is buff-colored: range of hardness is 2 to 6.5; average is 4. Where the paste is grayish: range 3.5 to 8.5; average 6.5. These hardness ratings can be in error .5 owing to variability in the mineral set used for testing.

_Fracture._--Medium to crumbling.

=Surface finish=: Anvil depressions are generally discernible on interior surfaces of vessels. Surfaces are uniformly smoothed, but not polished. All vessels are unslipped (a few scoops have a sliplike surface appearance, owing to one or both of their surfaces being completely painted over; but the painting marks make it evident that these are not applications of the clay wash that characterizes a true slip.).

=Surface color=:

_Bowls._--Exterior: range of hue 10R to 10YR; value 2 to 8; chroma 1 to 6. Most common: 5YR 6/4 (pale neutral brown). Interior: range of hue 2.5YR to 10YR; value 3 to 8; chroma 1 to 8. Most common: 2.5YR 6/7 (weak to moderate orange).