Ancestral Puebloan Pottery

The people of Mesa Verde were accomplished potters. They made vessels of all kinds: pots, bowls, canteens, ladles, jars, and mugs. Corrugated ware was used mostly for cooking and storage; the elaborately decorated black on white ware may have had ceremonial as well as everyday uses. Women were most likely the potters of the community. Their designs tended to be personal and local and probably were passed down from mother to daughter. Design elements changed slowly, a characteristic that helps archeologists track the location and composition of ancient populations.