Pottery type
Hohokam Red-on-Buff Pottery
Hohokam Red-on-Buff300 B.C. - 1375 A.D.Hohokam PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 300 B.C. - 1375 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Hohokam Pottery
- Material
- Fine alluvial clays with high iron content, firing buff, tan, or cream in oxidizing conditions. Temper is usually fine sand or crushed sandstone. Painted designs use iron-oxide slip or mineral-based red paint applied prior to firing.
Description
Classic Hohokam decorated pottery characterized by light tan to buff-colored bodies with red or dark red painted designs. Decorative styles include curvilinear scrolls, guilloches, cross-hatching, ticked lines, interlocking scrolls, stepped motifs, and panel-based layouts. The ware reflects a long, continuous tradition of painted ceramics beginning in the early Pioneer period and extending through Classic period Hohokam. Vessel forms include bowls, jars, pitchers, scoops, and effigy vessels.
Size
Bowls typically range from 18–32 cm in diameter and 8–18 cm deep. Jars vary from 20–45 cm tall, with rim diameters of 12–28 cm. Pitchers are frequently 15–30 cm tall, and effigy vessels can range widely from 10–25 cm depending on form.
Distribution
Centered in the Salt and Gila River valleys, extending throughout southern and central Arizona, the Tonto Basin, and occasionally north into Mogollon Rim regions through exchange.
Mainly found in
Additional information
General “Red-on-Buff” encompasses multiple subtypes that developed over centuries. These wares are crucial markers for Hohokam chronological sequences and are among the most recognizable Southwest pottery forms. Their wide distribution indicates substantial trade and social interaction.