New to the Edge: Pots from the Forest

This month the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum’s “New to the Edge” exhibit features several pottery vessels from a site in Woodenshoe Canyon on the Manti-LaSal National Forest. The site dates to the late AD 1100s/early AD 1200s, a period of time that is referred to as the Pueblo III period. Among other things, this late Pueblo period is known for its beautiful white ware pottery with complex, painted designs. Indeed, the white background is often not just “background,” but an active part of the design! This fancy pottery type, Mesa Verde Black-on-white, is represented by the white ware bowl and jar/pitcher shown here. The small Mesa Verde Corrugated jar is an example of the utilitarian cooking pottery of the time. The pots will be on exhibit through the month of February.
Three 800-year-old pottery vessels from Woodenshoe Canyon are shown here. Notice how the white “background” in the pitcher is actually part of the design, a common characteristic of painted pottery from the AD 1200s. Courtesy of Manti-LaSal National Forest and Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum.