Diabase Temper as a Marker for Laguna Ceramics

Abstract

The Western Keresan area consists of the present-day Pueblos of Laguna and Acoma. In the 1950s, Florence Hawley Ellis proposed that a high proportion of Laguna ceramics could be distinguished from the ceramics produced by Acoma and other population centers by the frequent use of diabase temper. We conducted a petrographic analysis of 51 ceramic sherds designed to test the veracity of this association. Historic period sherds from culinary and decorated vessels collected at the Pueblo of Laguna do in fact contain a predominance of diabase temper. A consideration of local geology indicates these vessels were almost certainly produced in the Laguna area. This report thus firmly establishes the utility of diabase temper as a diagnostic indicator of ceramic provenance for this important period of Pueblo history.

En la actualidad, los Pueblos Laguna y Acoma conforman el área occidental Keresan. En los años 50s, Florence Hawley Ellis propuso que una proporción alta de cerámica Laguna se podía distinguir de la cerámica Acoma y de otros centros de población debido al uso frecuente de desgrasante de diabasa o dolerita. Se realizó un análisis petrográfico de 51 tiestos cerámicos para comprobar la veracidad de dicha propuesta. Para el Periodo Histórico, los tiestos cerámicos de vasijas decoradas y culinarias recolectadas del Pueblo Laguna sí contienen una predominancia de desgrasante de diabasa. La consideración geológica local sugiere una producción cerámica casi certera en el área Laguna. Por lo que este reporte, establece firmemente la utilidad del desgrasante de diabasa como un indicador diagnóstico para la proveniencia cerámica durante este importante periodo en la historia Pueblo.

KEYWORDS:

• Western Pueblos
• New Mexico
• Petrography
• Ceramic provenance
• Laguna
• Historic period

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Governor Richard Luarkie, Governor Virgil A. Siow and the Tribal Council of the Pueblo of Laguna for granting access to study the Ellis collection at the Maxwell Museum at the University of New Mexico, and to prepare this publication. Dr. David Phillips at the Maxwell Museum facilitated study of the sherds at the University of New Mexico, and arranged for a loan of sherds so we could analyse them at the University of Arizona. Our initial research was conducted under contract to the Pueblo of Laguna during a scientific investigation associated with the litigation of water rights along the Rio San Jose (State of New Mexico, ex. rel., State Engineer, Plaintiff vs. Kerr-McGee Corporation, et al., Defendants; No. CB-83–190-CV & CB-83–220-CV Consolidated). We thank Curtis Francisco, Susan Jordan, Robert Mooney, Paul Pino, and Victor Sarracino for their assistance during fieldwork on the Laguna Reservation.