SOUTHWESTERN POTTERY DESIGNS

THE PREHISTORIC SOUTHWESTERN POTTERY WAS PAINTED WITH GEOMETRIC DESIGNS OF ALL KINDS. THEY WERE QUITE ELABOARATE IN STLES AND THEY PURPOSELY MADE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN CALLED A DAU. THIS DEFECT LET GOOD SPIRITS IN AS WELL AS LET OUT THE EVIL SPIRITS. THEY ALSO USED DESIGNS OF NATURE AND VARIOUS ANIMALS. VARIOUS TRIBES USED DIFFERENT TYPES OF METHODS TO MAKE THEIR CERAMICS. EACH VILLAGE USED DIFFERENT DESIGNS THAT DEFINE WHO THEY ARE. THEY PRODUCESOME DESIGNS THAT THEIR ANCESTORS USED. THEREARE SO MANY SOUTHWESTERN TRIBES STILL MAKING POTTERY - IT IS ACRAFT FOR BOTH MEN AN WOMEN.

IN THE HOHOKAM CULTURE I STUDIED SO MANY CERAMICS AND DISCOVERED THAT THEY USED RED PAINT ON TAN CLAY FOR THE MOST PART. THEIR GEOMETRICS WERE CIRCLES AND ZIGZAG DESIGNS. THEY ALSO COMMONLY USED DANCERS REPEATEDLY ACROSS THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE POT. MOST OF THEIR POTS WERE FIRED IN AN OUTDOOR KILN.

THEY USED TO PAINT QUAIL, VARIOUS BIRDS, DEER, COYOTE, SNAKES, LIZARDS, AND SMALL MAMAMMALS. THE POTTERY IS VERY DISTINCT FROM OTHER SOUTHWESTERN POTTERY. IT IS NOT AS DELICATE AS THE OTHER TRIBES. THEY ALSO PAINTED KOKOPELI REPEATEDLY ON THEIR POTTERY.