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Prior to the coming of Europeans, the peoples of both the North and South American continents had a wide variety of pottery traditions. However, there is no evidence that a Native American potter ever invented the potter's wheel. Because of this, all known Pre-Columbian American pottery was made entirely by hand, using a number of traditional techniques. These include sculptural modeling, press molding, coiling, and paddling. Functional clay objects were produced by most clay using cultures, as were figurines, masks, and ritual items.
Many Pre-Columbian pottery traditions are well known to the general public and significant pieces are found in collections in most major museums. Among the most well known are pots found in the Anasazi ruins of the Southwest United States, pottery produced by a number of Pueblo peoples, also in the Southwest United States, and Mayan pottery found in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Less well known pottery traditions include the Casas Grandes region of Northern Mexico and the prehistoric potters of the Gran Cocle' Culture Area, Cocle' Province, Panama.
Pre-Columbian clay artifacts are often found in tombs and ruins during modern archeological excavations. However, during the early years of exploration on both continents, pots were removed without any records on origin and associated artifacts. This has resulted in many striking pottery items, some in prestigious museums, being held without documentation. The practice of "pot hunting" continues to be a problem for governments and academic researchers, as a black market for prehistoric pottery and artifacts flourishes in many areas of the world.
North American Pottery
Eastern North American Cultures
Sapelo Island, GA (first NA pottery 2000 BC)
Archaic at Poverty Point, LA (1500 BC, Olmec influence)
Adena (800 BC - circa AD 100)
Hopewell (circa 300 BC - AD 700, peak AD 100 - AD 400)
Mississipian (circa AD 800 - Mexican influence)
Cahokia, IL (city/state? AD 700-1400)
Natchez\Southern Cult (AD 1300 - Mexican influence)
Ancestoral Pueblo Cultures
Anasazi
Mimbres Valley
Mogollon
Hohokom
Casa Grande
Historic Pueblo Cultures
Central American Pottery
Tlatilco (circa 1500 BC)
Olmec (circa 800-400 BC)
Teotihuacan (circa 300 BC - AD 600)
Zapotec (circa AD 200 - AD 800)
Mixtec(circa AD 900)
Tarascan (circa AD 800 - AD 1300)
Mayan (circa AD 317 - AD 1200)
Remojadas (circa AD 750)
Toltec/Mayan (circa AD 1200 - AD 1500)
AztecAztec (circa AD 1168 - AD 1519)
Cocle', Panama
La Mula (circa 150 BC - AD 300)
Tonosi (circa AD 300 - AD 550)
Cubita (circa AD 550 - AD 700)
Gran Cocle'(circa AD 1200 - AD 1500)
South American Pottery
Earliest pottery (dated circa 2500 BC)
Chavin Period (1200-300 BC)
"Experimental" Period (circa 400 BC - AD 1)
Master Craftsman Period (circa AD 1 - AD 900)
Mochica (AD 500 - Northern Highlands)
Naxca (AD 500 - Southern Highlands)
Expansionist Period (circa AD 900 - AD 1200)
Tiahaunaco
City Builder Period (circa AD 1200-1450)
Incan Period (circa AD 1450 - AD 1532)
Modern Native American pottery
Several current native American cultures continue their original pottery traditions, still producing ware for practical use and for sale to collectors. One of the most common kinds of pots made by native peoples of North and Central America is the "olla." The unglazed pot is characterized by a spherical body and wide mouth. Ollas were made over a thousand years ago and almost all the tribes in the Southwest United States and Mexico still make them today.
Native American artists working in clay include: Joseph Lonewolf, Iris Nampeyo, Maria and Julian Martinez, Sara Fina Tafoya, Juan Quezada and Al Quoyawayma. See List of Native American Artists.
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