Ceramics appeared in the southwest as early as A.D. 200. In Chaco Canyon, there is evidence that clay pots replaced baskets for culinary usage between A.D. 400 and A.D. 750. As utility vessels, ceramic pots have a number of advantages over baskets. Pots take less time to construct, they can be placed directly on the fire and used for cooking, they can be left on the fire for simmering food, and they do not deteriorate with age.

The appearance of pottery in a culture is related to a settled lifestyle. Because pottery is heavy and fragile it is not easily moved from place to place. When the people of Chaco began to depend on agriculture as a primary food source, they became more sedentary. A sedentary life style was conducive to the building of more permanent structures as well as an increased use of ceramics.

Broken pieces of pottery, or sherds, tell a story about the ceramics made in this region or brought here in trade. Archaeological investigations revealed that the first pots were plain gray. They were built by coiling thick ropes of clay and finished by smoothing the inside and outside surfaces with an object such as a gourd rind or a small pebble.

Decorations on the pottery sherds found in Chaco are predominately geometric designs, in the traditional patterns used by the people in this area.

Paints were made with minerals or carbons. Archeologist use ceramic analysis to identify the pigment and help establish a time period in which the pot was made.

Temper, a substance mixed with clay to increase hardness and heat resistance, varies from region to region. If the temper identified in a pottery sherd can be found in Chaco Canyon, the pot was probably made here. If not, then the Chacoans either traveled to get their temper material or the pot was made elsewhere, and perhaps accepted in trade.

Some designs can be associated with specific time periods.

Chaco A.D. 1050-1125

Chaco-McElmo A.D. 1075-1125

Gallup A.D. 1000-1125

Pottery is a useful tool for archaeologists because it reflects minor cultural changes, which in turn can pinpoint significant shifts in the larger culture. A large number of pottery sherds concentrated in one area often indicates a prehistoric site. When sites are being excavated, the type of sherds discovered at various levels give clues as to which people might have been there and when.

What can be said about Chacoan pottery? Certainly it was useful in everyday life. The craftsmanship, beauty, and location of ceramics found in this area indicate that pottery was decorative and often used in ceremonies. Pottery accompainied the burial of honored dead. Pottery was traded throughout the prehistoric Puebloan world. Black on White pottery was a hallmark of Chacoan culture. The beauty of its forms and intricate designs endures to this day.