Prior to the coming of Europeans, the peoples of both the North and South American continents had a wide variety of pottery traditions. However, there is no evidence that a Native American potter ever invented the potter's wheel. Because of this, all known Pre-Columbian American pottery was made entirely by hand, using a number of traditional techniques. These include sculptural modeling, press molding, coiling, and paddling. Functional clay objects were produced by most clay using cultures, as were figurines, masks, and ritual items. This article is about the continent. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... A Hupa man, 1923 The scope of this indigenous peoples of the Americas article encompasses the definitions of indigenous peoples and the Americas as established in their respective articles. ... The potters wheel is a horizontal wheel or turntable used in the making of many types of pottery. ... The term Pre-Columbian is used to refer to the cultures of the New World in the era before significant European influence. ...

Pottery techniques

The procedure for creating coil pottery favoured in the Eastern United States was more focused on preparing clay than in the West. The women would spend hours on end mixing the clay they had gathered with crushed seashells, sand, plant materials and other temper until they had precisely the right consistency; then wedging it to remove the air bubbles that could easily make it blow up during firing. They would then pound out a flat circle of clay to serve as a base. While the potter was building the coils up, she was also deliberate to take the time to blend them together. Once they were blended nicely, there was no trace of the ropes of clay so carefully entwined to form the pot, no deviation in the thickness of the walls, and therefore no weaknesses. As a finishing touch, the pot was struck with a cord wrapped stick to compact it and give it its final shape. American Indians have never used enclosed kilns, so the pot was put in a shallow pit dug into the earth along with other unfired pottery, covered with wood and brush, and lit on fire where it would harden and heat to temperatures of 1400 degrees or more. For a finishing touch, the surface of the pot would be rubbed vigorously with special stones, leaving the surface smooth and polished. Charcoal Kilns, California Gold Kiln, Victoria, Australia A kiln is an oven that is used for hardening, burning, or drying anything. ...

Pottery traditions

Moche Pottery
(Image © PROMPERU, used with permission)

Many Pre-Columbian pottery traditions are well known to the general public and significant pieces are found in collections in most major museums. Among the most well known are pots found in the Anasazi ruins of the Southwest United States, pottery produced by a number of Pueblo peoples, also in the Southwest United States, and Mayan pottery found in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Less well known pottery traditions include the Casas Grandes region of Northern Mexico and the prehistoric potters of the Gran Cocle' Culture Area, Coclé Province, Panama. Image File history File links See http://es. ... Image File history File links See http://es. ... Ancient Pueblo People, or Ancestral Puebloans is the preferred term for the group of peoples often known as Anasazi who are the ancestors of the modern Pueblo peoples. ... The Southwest region of the United States is drier than the adjoining Midwest in weather; the population is less dense and, with strong Spanish-American and Native American components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... Pueblos are traditional Native American communities of the Southwest United States of America. ... // The Maya civilization is a historical Mesoamerican civilization, which extended throughout the northern Central American region which includes the present-day nations of Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and El Salvador, as well as the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche... Casas Grandes ( Great Houses ), a small village of Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua, situated on the Casas Grandes or San Miguel river, about 35 m. ... Coclé is a province of central Panama on the nations southern coast. ...

Pre-Columbian clay artifacts are often found in tombs and ruins during modern archeological excavations. However, during the early years of exploration on both continents, pots were removed without any records on origin and associated artifacts. This has resulted in many striking pottery items, some in prestigious museums, being held without documentation. The practice of "pot hunting" continues to be a problem for governments and academic researchers, as a black market for prehistoric pottery and artifacts flourishes in many areas of the world. im colin--67.183.9.16 00:09, 9 January 2006 (UTC)--67.183.9.16 00:09, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

North American Pottery

North and Northeastern Cultures

Each of these main groups contained many tribes, each of which had adapted to their environments which were all slightly different. The four main groups were subdivided by the following geographic areas:

• The Pacific coast and mountains. Yukon.
• The Plains. Cree/Manitoba. Sioux.
• The St. Lawrence valley.Great Lakes. Iroquois. Maritime Provinces/St. Lawrence.
• The North-East Woodlands (broad region, encompassing the woods near the Atlantic/maritimes to the tree-line in the Arctic).Inuit.

For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th) • Land 474,391 km² • Water 8,052 km² (1. ... Cree camp near Vermilion, Alberta The Cree are an indigenous people of North America whose people range from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean in both Canada and the United States. ... The Sioux (also Dakota) are an indian tribe. ... The Saint Lawrence River (French: fleuve Saint-Laurent) is a large west-to-east flowing river in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee, also known as the League of Peace and Power, Five Nations, or Six Nations) is a group of First Nations/Native Americans. ... Inuit (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, singular Inuk or Inuq / ᐃᓄᒃ) is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic coasts of Siberia, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Québec, Labrador and Greenland. ...

Southeastern/Central Cultures

• Sapelo Island, Georgia first NA pottery 4000 BP- Before Present
• Poverty Point, Louisiana beginning circa 3750 BP
• Adena culture, central United States around Illinois to Ohio, 3000 BP to 2100 BP
• Hopewell culture central United States throughout Ohio and Illinois circa 2200 BP - 1600 BP
• Mississippian cultures Refers to a variety of Native American cultures of the Eastern United States from around 1100 BP to the historic era
• Cahokia, Illinois A famous Mississippian chiefdom
• Natchez people A historic tribe known to also be a culturally Mississippian chiefdom

An aerial view reveals the circular pattern of ancient Indian earthworks at Poverty Point. ... An Adena pipe excavated from the Criel Mound The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from c. ... Hopewell culture is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourish along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BC to 400 A.D. At its greatest extent, Hopewell culture stretched from western New York to Missouri and from Wisconsin to... State nickname: The Buckeye State Official languages None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Official languages English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Senators Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 4. ... The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States States]] from approximately 900 to 1500 A.D., varying a bit regionally. ... This article is about the Native American city. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Official languages English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Senators Richard Durbin (D) Barack Obama (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 25th 149,998 km² 4. ... A chiefdom is any community led by an individual known as a chief. ... Pre-contact distribution of Natchez peoples Although suffering a turbulent history since European contact, the Natchez Nation still represents a vital part of the United States Native American community. ...

Southwestern Cultures

• Ancestoral Pueblo Cultures: including Anasazi, Mimbres Valley, Jornada Mogollon, Hohokam, Casa Grande.
• Historic Pueblo Cultures: including Nampeyo of the Hopi, and San Ildefonso Pueblo with the work of Maria and Julian Martinez. In the early 1900’s Maria Martinez and her husband Julian rediscovered how to make the Black-on Black pottery for which San Ildefonso Pueblo would soon become famous. Other historic pueblos producing pottery include: Santa Clara Pueblo, Taos Pueblo and the Zuni.
• Other Historic Cultures including the Apache and the Navajo (who refer to themselves as the Diné).

Ancient Pueblo People, or Ancestral Puebloans is the preferred term for the group of peoples often known as Anasazi who are the ancestors of the modern Pueblo peoples. ... The Mogollon (pronounced mo-goi-YONE) were an American Indian culture lived in the American Southwest from approximately AD 700 until sometime between AD 1300 and AD 1400. ... The Mogollon (pronounced mo-goi-YONE) Native American culture lived in the American Southwest from approximately AD 700 until sometime between AD 1300 and AD 1400. ... Hohokam is the name of one of the four major prehistoric archaeological traditions of the American Southwest. ... Iris Nampeyo (1859?–1942) was a Hopi potter, who lived on the Hopi Reservation in present-day Arizona. ... Hopi woman dressing hair of unmarried girl Part of a Hopi pueblo Hopi House near Grand Canyon, stereoptical view c. ... San Ildefonso Pueblo is a census-designated place located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. ... Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ... Santa Clara Pueblo is a census-designated place located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. ... Taos Pueblo is the ancient town of the Northern Tiwa speaking tribe of Pueblo people, Native Americans. ... Zuñi girl with jar, 1903 Zuñi The Zuñi or Ashiwi are a Native American tribe, one of the Pueblo peoples, most of whom live in the Pueblo of Zuñi on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River, in western New Mexico. ... Group of Apaches Apache is the collective name for several culturally related tribes of Native Americans, aboriginal inhabitants of North America, who speak a Southern Athabaskan language. ... Navajo blanket Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Dineé) is the name of a sovereign Native American nation established by the Diné. The Navajo Indian Reservation covers about 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometres) of land, occupying all of northeastern Arizona, and extending into Utah and New Mexico, and is... Manuelito, Navajo chief Navajo Nation (Navajo: Naabeehó Dineé) is the name of a sovereign Native American nation established by the Diné. The Navajo Nation Reservation covers about 27,000 square miles (70,000 square kilometres) of land, occupying all of northeastern Arizona, and extending into Utah and New Mexico, and...

Central American Pottery

Maya funerary urn

• Tlatilco (circa 1500 BC)
• Olmec (circa 800-400 BC)
• Teotihuacan (circa 300 BC - AD 600)
• Zapotec (circa AD 200 - AD 800)
• Mixtec(circa AD 900)
• Tarascan (circa AD 800 - AD 1300)
• Maya ceramics (circa AD 317 - AD 1200)
• Remojadas (circa AD 750)
• Toltec / Mayan (circa AD 1200 - AD 1500)
• Aztec (circa AD 1168 - AD 1519)
• Coclé, Panama with the following periods: La Mula (circa 150 BC - AD 300), Tonosi (circa AD 300 - AD 550), Cubita (circa AD 550 - AD 700), and Gran Cocle'(circa AD 1200 - AD 1500).

http://exchanges. ... http://exchanges. ... The word Maya or maya can refer to: The Maya Рa Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America the modern Maya people the pre-Columbian Maya civilization the Maya language Maya Рa concept in Hindu/Vedic philosophy a state of misperception of reality the inherent force of... Maya funerary urn For the computing term, see URN. An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered and without handles that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. ... The Olmec were an ancient people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ... Teotihuacan was the largest Pre-Columbian known city in the Americas, and the name Teotihuacan is used to refer to the civilization this city dominated, which at its greatest extent included most of Mesoamerica. ... Zapotec refers to a native people of Mexico, their language family consisting of more than 15 languages, and their historic culture and traditions. ... Codex Zouche-Nuttall, a pre-Columbian piece of Mixtec writing, now in the British Museum The Mixtec (or Mixteca) are a Native American people centered in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. ... Tarascan men reeling cord for nets & making nets, 1899. ... Maya ceramics are important in the study of the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. ... The Toltecs (or Toltec or Tolteca) were a Pre-Columbian Native American people who dominated much of central Mexico between the 10th and 12th century AD. Their language, Nahuatl, was also spoken by the Aztecs. ... The adjective Mayan is sometimes used to refer to the indigenous peoples of parts of Mexico and Central America, their culture, language, and history. ... The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. ... Cocl̩ is a province of central Panama on the nations southern coast. ...

South American Pottery

• Earliest pottery (dated circa 2500 BC)
• Chavin Period (1200-300 BC)
• Paracas Culture (600-100 BC)
• "Experimental" Period (circa 400 BC - AD 1)
• Master Craftsman Period (circa AD 1 - AD 900) broken into Mochica also known as the Moche culture, Early Chimu, Pre-Chimu, Proto-Chimu, etc. (AD 200 to AD 700 - Northern Highlands)and the Nazca culture (300 BC and AD 800) ref. Cahuachi, Southern Highlands.
• Expansionist Period (circa AD 900 - AD 1200) including Tiwanaku.
• City Builder Period (circa AD 1200-1450)
• Incan Period (circa AD 1450 - AD 1532)

Chav n is the name of a pre-Moche people in Peru Chav n is a parish belonging to the municipality of Viveiro, Spain. ... Paracas is a culture of the Paracas peninsula, Peru. ... Moche Pottery (Image © PROMPERU, used with permission) The Moche civilization (aka the Mochica culture, Early Chimu, Pre-Chimu, Proto-Chimu, etc. ... Early South American Civilizations Nazca (sometimes spelled Nasca) is the name of a system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru, and the name of the regions largest existing town. ... Cahuachi, in Peru, was a major ceremonial center of the Nazca culture and overlooked some of the Nazca lines from 1 CE to about 500 CE. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici has been excavating the site for the past few decades, bringing a team down every year. ... Middle Horizon Tiwanaku (old spellings: Tiahuanaco and Tiahuanacu) is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia. ... For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

Modern Native American pottery

Several current native American cultures continue their original pottery traditions, still producing ware for practical use and for sale to collectors. One of the most common kinds of pots made by native peoples of North and Central America is the olla. The unglazed pot is characterized by a spherical body and wide mouth. Ollas were made over a thousand years ago and almost all the tribes in the Southwest United States and Mexico still make them today.

Modern Native American artists working in clay include: Joseph Lonewolf, Nampeyo, Maria and Julian Martinez, Sara Fina Tafoya, Juan Quezada and Al Quoyawayma. See List of Native American artists. Iris Nampeyo (1859?–1942) was a Hopi potter, who lived on the Hopi Reservation in present-day Arizona. ... Painters Charles Lovato Dan Namingha Urshel Taylor Potters Joseph Lonewolf Iris Nampeyo Maria and Julian Martinez Sara Fina Tafoya Al Quoyawayma Juan Quezada Sculptors Allan Houser Doug Hyde Arlo Namingha Roxanne Swentzell Basket Weavers Dat So La Lee - pseudonym for Louisa Keyser Rug Weavers Roselyn Begay Ason Yellowhair Metalsmiths/jewelers...