Perishable Archaeological Collections

SPRANG TUNIC

Culture: Salado
Dates: ca. AD 1300-1450
Location: Tonto-Roosevelt Basin, central AZ
Material: cotton

This sleeveless tunic was made by a non-loom technique known as sprang which creates an interlinked structure. The fiber is handspun cotton. The design motifs--running triangles and interlocking rectilinear scrolls--are also found on contemporary painted pottery and petroglyphs.