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Pottery type
Shoshonean Brown Ware
Shoshonean Brown Ware500 – 1800 A.D.Great Basin PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 500 – 1800 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Great Basin Pottery
- Material
- Coarse clay tempered with sand or crushed rock. Fired in low-temperature, oxidizing hearths that produce tan to brown coloration.
Description
Shoshonean Brown Ware refers to the late prehistoric pottery of Shoshone groups in the Intermountain West. Vessels are typically brown, plain-surfaced jars and bowls with simple rims and rounded bases. Surface treatment ranges from rough-smoothed to moderately smoothed, with little to no decoration.
Size
Vessels generally measure 12–26 cm in height with rim diameters 12–24 cm. Walls average 7–12 mm.
Distribution
Found across southwestern Idaho, northern Nevada, western Wyoming, and parts of Utah.
Additional information
Ceramic production among Shoshone groups was limited and generally associated with cooking and heating activities. Pottery often coexisted with extensive basketry traditions.