Puzzlehouse Archaeological Site Report - Ceramic Type Collection

Type sites:	Mesa Verde N. P.: Spruce Tree House, Cliff Palace, Mug House. Aztec Ruin. (Breternitz et al:42).
Dating:	Pueblo III. AD 1075 – 1300. AD 1075-1275 (perhaps +25 both ways) (Breternitz et al:52). AD 1075-1300 (Varien, CCAC Site Testing). P III occupations from AD 1075-1300, dominant on early P III sites AD1150-1220 (Wilson and Blinman:51). P III AD 1150-1200 (Lucius and Breternitz:24).
Texture:	Medium to fine (Breternitz et al:37).
Temper:	Not useful for distinguishing McElmo ceramics from Mancos or Mesa Verde. The range of tempers, singly or in combinations, includes: sherd, igneous and metamorphic rock, and sandstone (all crushed), and sand (Breternitz et al:41). In a Mug House study of 294 vessels typed McElmo-Mesa Verde, there were 14 different temper kinds or combinations. Of these 31% had only sherd temper, much of which included crushed rock; 9% had only crushed rock; 22% had rock mixed with some sherd; 24% had sherd with some rock. Other combinations included sand and crushed sandstone. When the temper analysis was broken down by type (64 McElmo and 222 Mesa Verde vessels), the percentages of temper types were almost exactly the same for each (Rohn:146). Another report (Breternitz et al:41), and on-going study at Crow Canyon confirms that P III temper varies from site to site, possibly related to the distance from or depletion of rock sources (Robin Lyle, personal communication).
Slip:	Usually well slipped (Varien:Appendix A(1); Wilson and Blinman:51). Thick, cream-colored, often crazed (Breternitz et al:41). Often. . .pearly white (Wilson and Blinman:51). At Puzzle House, usually thickly slipped, but distinctive color not seen; exteriors often less well slipped or unslipped.
Polish:	Well polished (Varien:Appendix A(1); Wilson and Blinman:51). At Puzzle House, exteriors usually less well polished than interiors.
Paint:	Organic. Incidence of mineral increases and becomes common moving across the Sage Plain and into SE Utah (Varien:Appendix A(1); Breternitz:42; Blinman and Wilson:52). At Puzzle House, both. Paint on bowl interiors, occasionally exteriors, jars, mugs, ladles, handles (Breternitz et al:42). Ladle decoration same as bowls; handles decorated, most rims ticked (Rohn:175).
Rims:	Thickness matches wall thickness, or tapers slightly to rim. Rim tops rounded or fairly flat (Blinman and Wilson:51; Varien; Puzzle House). Tapered rim occurs (Cattenach:191). Absence of flared rim (Cattenach:191). Plain or painted with ticks or oblongs, not complex patterns (Rohn:172); Puzzle House). Some ticking, no solid lines (Varien:Appendix A(1).
Shape:	Bowls most common; jars, mugs, seed jars, ladles (Wilson and Blinman:51-2; Breternitz et al:42). Bowl exteriors and olla necks occasionally corrugated (Breternitz et al:42). Bowl shape hemispheric, walls thicker than Mancos, well shaped. Ladle handle usually attached midway up the bowl wall, sometimes straight off base (Rohn:173). Ladle handle usually round, hollow. Of hollow handles, 25% pierced on upper side (Rohn:173). Mugs: At Mug House, 4 of 27 were McElmo. Found in roof-fall or with burials on room floors; none originally in kivas. Distinguished from Mesa Verde by greater height than breadth, and by design (Rohn177-78). Seed jars: At Mug House, 2. (Rohn:179). Kiva jars: At Mug House, 29 - 3 McElmo; 25 Mesa Verde; 1 indeterminate (Rohn:179).
Design:	‘Transitional’. See discussion in Notes. Broad-band designs with no detached (non-touching) multiple framing lines. Broad-band designs with a single framing line that ties into the band or touches the rim. Bands of broad lines parallel to the rim. Interior band designs: Relatively uncomplicated forms of hachure Stepped triangles, angled diamonds Combinations of Mancos elements without the emphasis on the triangle Key-design frets filled with straight hatching ‘All-over’ style with simple segment-fillers. Bands may be decorated in segments, or with design-filled medallions separated by straight-hatching, or consist solely of lines slightly embellished with dots or ticks. Where vessels decorated solely with large solid or hatched frets have been typed McElmo, they were distinguished from Mancos by vessel shape, rim, and finish quality. Some vessels appear to be simpler, less exacting versions of Mesa Verde, but many are very well executed. McElmo should not to be dismissed as ‘sloppy Mesa Verde,’ which exists in its own right. Exterior decoration at Puzzle House is rare, consisting of simple bands or isolated elements.