Ancient pottery ladles, like this one, were used much like ladles today. They scooped up liquids. For instance, they were used to dip water from small pools that formed near the cliffs where water seeped from the sandstone. They would scoop water from the spring and pour it into a water jug, or olla to transport it to their homes. Ancestral Pueblo people probably made daily treks to the nearest seep spring to provide essential water for household needs. Many archeologists believe the shape of pottery ladles were patterned after the early gourds that were used as spoons and ladles centuries before. |
Last updated: May 9, 2020