Hohokam - The Hohokam Ceramic Tradition

The Hohokam Ceramic Tradition

Hohokam ceramics are defined by a distinct Plain, Red, and Decorated ware tradition. Overall Hohokam pottery was made from a small fine clay base connected to a series of coils that were thinned and shaped using the paddle and anvil technique. Hohokam Plain and Red wares were primarily tempered with a variety of materials including micaceous, phyllite, or Squaw Peak schist, as well as granite, quartz, quartzite, and arkosic sands. Analytically, based on the type of temper used, these are classified as to the geographic setting of their manufacture, and are referred to as Gila (Gila River basin), Wingfield (Agua Fria basin, the Northern Periphery, or Lower Verde Area), Piestewa Peak (Phoenix Metro area north of the Salt River), South Mountain (Phoenix Metro area south of the Salt River), or Salt (Salt or Verde river basins) Plain and Red wares. The surfaces of Plain wares were smoothed to some extent and many were polished, and after the vessels were fired, they turned a color that ranged from light or dark brown, gray, to orange. Later in time, the interiors of bowls were slipped with a black carbonous material. Hohokam Red wares were slipped with an iron-based pigment that turned red after the vessel was fired.

The manufacture of decorated Hohokam pottery was similar to that of the plain wares. However, the clays tended to be of a finer quality and were tempered with caliche and limited amounts of very finely ground micaceous schist and small particles of vegetive material.