13^th Annual Sand Canyon Primitive Pottery Workshop

Kristie Carriker and her husband, Rodney, are the owners and managers of the Kelly Place Bed and Breakfast which hosted the Sand Canyon primitive pottery seven day workshop. The advertisement we found in Ceramics Monthly magazine failed to do justice to the atmosphere, FOOD, and program which our small group of seven potters encountered. Our instructor, Leander Gridley provided not only a well prepared workshop but adapted the content to motivate, challenge, and educate each of us in the history and archeology of the Southwest territory. The inter-dynamics of our small group made the learning experience richer. John Olsen assisted Leander with the nightly pit firings, pottery construction and decoration. With the exception of the Anasazi coffee cans and tin used in the pit firing, only the materials and resources available to the "Ancient Ones" were used in the workshop.

I think each of us came home with a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture of the Southwest.

The early pottery found in the U.S. Southwest was hand built using a variety of techniques such as pinching, coil and scrape, and/or paddle-and-anvil. Much of the pottery used for storage and food preparation tasks were undecorated and either smooth or corrugated vessels that were fired in the open or in a shallow pit. The clay was pulverized by grinding; water was added and it was allowed to cure for several days to improve plasticity; then it was mixed with temper to open the body and improve resistance to thermal shock. Organic material, shells, and various minerals were used as temper.

After the pottery was shaped to the desired form, it was ready to be decorated by slip, polishing and/or painting. Three colors were used in decorating the pottery. The white paint is a pure clay free of iron. The black paint is made from finely ground hematite and/or boiled down tansy mustard which has been cooked until it is almost dry, producing a carbon/mineral paint. The red-brown paint is derived from yellow limonite or red ochre which is ground in water. It turns red or brown in firing. The paint brushis made from pieces of yucca plant that has been cut to about six inches long and to the desired width. Between one and two inches of the large end is stripped and/or chewed to create the desired bristle texture for painting.

These paints are matte pigments and not glazes. Surface colors are the result of the firing atmosphere, temperature reached, and density of the pigments used.

Pit Firing Schedule Followed at Kelly Place, Cortez, CO

Reduction Pit Firing -(Reduction is the action of taking oxygen away from metal oxides.) A reducing atmosphere was created by firing in a pit which measured approximately three feet by nine feet and ten inches deep. The dirt removed from the pit was mounded around the pit causing the incoming surface air to lift with the rising heat of the fire. As a result of combustion and the air flow, there is an area around the pottery which has reduced oxygen available to interact with the metal oxides.

Step 1. The pit was prepared, three feet by nine feet, and about ten inches deep. It was lined with rocks on the floor and walls. At one end of the pit a small fire was started to remove moisture from the pit. The pieces of pottery to be fired were placed on the mounded dirt just close enough to the fire to begin warming. This fire was allowed to burn down to hot embers. (Approx. 30 minutes.)

Step 2. The embers were spread over the floor of the pit. Pottery shards/tiles were placed on top of the embers. The pieces of pottery to be fired were turned upside down, in the center of the pit, on top of the shards/tiles. A small hand full of dirt was spread over the shards and ashes where the pots were to be placed. This dirt provides insulation from the hot embers and a stable platform for the pots. Large pancake like shards made of clay were leaned against the pottery and placed on top to shield the pots from the flames. The pottery was allowed to continue to warm, releasing its physical water. (Approx. 30 minutes to one hour.)

Step 3. Two small fires were started, one at each end of the pit. These two fires were allowed to burn down nearly to embers (approx.30 minutes). Very slowly the embers were spread along the sides of the pottery to begin forming the "Ring of Fire". Initially, the flames were not allowed to touch the pottery/shards. Gradually the ring was tightened and flames began to rise up and over the pots. A few pieces of hot coals were placed on top of the shards covering the pottery. Slowly, additional kindling was placed on the embers as needed to keep the fire going and to continue the warming process. This was continued until the point was reached where spittle or water hissed or bubbled when dropped on pieces of the pottery under the shards, if they could be reached.(Approx. 30 minutes to one hour.)

Step 4. With great care to protect the pottery, fire wood was now stacked up around the cluster of pottery, log cabin style, to the point that long pieces of wood could bridge across the top to support additional build up. As the embers ignited the fire wood, the temperature rapidly climbed to between 1500*F and 1700*F degrees. The fire was allowed to burn down to near embers with some flame still present.(Approx. 1 hour.)

Step 5. The pit was covered with sheets of tin. Dirt was used to seal out the air preventing re-oxidation and to keep the heat in. This smothering resulted in post reduction smoking of the pottery. Wet leaves or grass could be used along with the dirt if tin is not available. The pit was left sealed for the next twelve hours.

Step 6. SLOWLY the covering was removed from the pit allowing the heat to escape. The pottery was still very hot and was gradually exposed to the air. When cool enough to handle, the pottery was cleaned with water. Rubbing the surfaces, which had been painted, with water and a mild abrasive removed the ash and brought out the color.

Smudging or Blackening --Maria Montoya Martinez, "The Potter of San Ildefonso", and her husband, Julian, are credited with the revival of interest in the pottery of the Pueblo Indians. Black pottery is identified with Maria and the techniques she used have been documented in both books and films, however, success in reproducing her black pottery has been difficult. At Kelly's Place, the items we selected to blacken were placed in containers (large coffee cans) filled with horse manure. These containers were placed upside down in the center of the pit where they would be subjected to the most intense heat. The horse manure was prevented from flaming due to being deprived of oxygen. The high carbon environment permits the pottery to be smudged or blackened by the carbon being absorbed deep into the clay.

Oxidation Mound Firing --In order to obtain certain desired effects in the firing of pottery, such as color retention of the red surface on some items resulting from the red iron oxide in the clay, a neutral or oxidation fire is essential. By creating a mound on which the fire will be built, the draft currents feeding the fire are caused to provide sufficient oxygen to prevent the reduction of the iron to its black ferrous oxide state. The first four steps given above for pre-warming and protecting the pottery with shards should be followed. I believe that the last two steps could be omitted as long as high winds are not a problem and the pots are not cooled too rapidly.

(Please note that this area of Colorado is between 5,000 and 6,000 feet elevation with very low humidity. These conditions have a significant impact on the drying of the pottery and the firing cycle.)

The analysis of ancient pottery/shards is a significant element in historic and prehistoric archaeology. By studying the methods and techniques used by the Ancient Ones in the construction of their pottery, we keep alive the memories, struggles, and rewards of our ancestors. At the same time, we build a stronger foundation for the development and enrichment of our own pottery. The following pictures are reproductions of ancient, Anasazi pottery which Sylvia and I crafted using the same materials and following the techniques believed to have been used during that period.

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