Stucco as a Timestamp on Lowland Patayan Pottery in the Far-Western Southwest

Bibliographic Data

ID5983006
AuthorsAaron Wright (0000-0002-0540-6398, Archaeology Southwest, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume86
Issue4
Pages448-481
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueKIVA (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0023-1940 • E-ISSN: 2051-6177
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00231940.2020.1775426
OpenAlexW3040663925
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

Poor chronology has long plagued the Patayan archaeological tradition of the far-western reaches of the North American Southwest. Archaeologists typically rely upon ceramics to assign associated materials to the broadly defined Patayan I, II, and III periods. However, as data amass, it is becoming increasingly clear that the established date ranges for certain types of Patayan pottery tied to those periods are inaccurate, and that the overall chronology may benefit from revision. Consequently, there are renewed calls to reassess the ceramic typologies and identify attributes with utility for dating affiliated archaeological phenomena. Here I focus on one such attribute, the stucco surface treatment on Lower Colorado Buff Ware. While the prevailing typology regards stucco as diagnostic of the Patayan II and III periods (circa AD 1000–1900), I present data that show stucco is conspicuously absent from contexts dating before AD 1400 but is rather common thereafter. I conclude Lowland Patayan potters began applying stucco to their wares between 1400 and 1600, and this attribute is therefore useful for dating associated material to a narrower AD 1400–1900 timeframe

Archaeology · Chronology · Geography · Pottery · Typology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Natural History · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · History

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