ASM Occasional Electronic Papers No. 1: Homol'ovi IV

Chapter Eight:
Ceramics, cont.

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Ceramic Descriptions by Structures

Only six of the structures -- 2, 4, 5, 201, 301, 404 -- had enough undisturbed proveniences to provide large enough sample sizes to allow description (Table 8.23-8.28). Table 8.29 summarizes the ceramics described in the structure summaries. These tables summarize the ceramics by ware with the exception of Tsegi Orange Ware, which is divided into two series -- Tsegi and Jeddito. The structure tables are divided into various fill units, including fill, floor fill, floor and features, and subfloor fill. Fill represents ceramics introduced to the structure following its abandonment. Floor fill and floor are most clearly associated with the last use or earliest abandonment of the structure. Subfloor fill predates construction of the structure. The quantity of ceramics from the various fill units suggests the nature of the life history of that structure.

Structure 2

Structure 2 was probably used as a ritual structure. The density of sherds in its fill suggests that it was used as a midden soon after its abandonment. Taken as a whole, structure 2 has an unusually low frequency, 27.7%, of decorated ceramics in comparison to the site average of 35.1% (Table 8.23).

Table 8.23 Ceramic Ware Inventory for Structure 2

PD/Ware	Fill	Fl. Fill	Floor/Feat.	TOTAL	Percent
Winslow Orange Ware	172	2	4	178	14.75
Tsegi Series					0.00
Jeddito Series	49		2	51	4.23
Jeddito Yellow Ware	13			13	1.08
White Mountain Red Ware					0.00
Roosevelt Red Ware					0.00
Hopi White Ware	16			16	1.33
Tusayan White Ware	32	2	3	37	3.06
Little Colorado White Ware	5			5	0.41
Cibola White Ware	23	1		24	1.99
Unknown Decorated	10			10	0.83
Total Decorated	320	5	9	334	27.67
Tusayan Gray Ware	530	13	30	573	47.47
Little Colorado Gray Ware	125	4		129	10.69
Homolovi Orange Ware	15		11	26	2.15
Homolovi Gray Ware	11			11	0.91
Alameda Brown Ware	117		5	122	10.11
Mogollon Brown Ware					0.00
San Francisco Gray Ware					0.00
Unknown Plain	12			12	0.99
Total Plain	810	17	46	873	72.33
TOTAL	1130	22	55	1207	100.00

This divergence is attributable to a high frequency of Tusayan Gray Ware, 47.5%, probably representing fragments from several partially reconstructible jars. The decorated wares are dominated by Winslow Orange Ware at a frequency typical of the site as a whole. None of the other wares occurs at a frequency significantly different from the site average, except Tusayan White Ware and Jeddito Series, which are lower than the site average.

The floor assemblage has only 55 total sherds, again dominated by Tusayan Gray Ware with plain wares accounting for 83.6% of total ceramics. The only other unusual ware presence on the floor is the high frequency of Homolovi Orange Ware, which accounts for 20.0% of total floor ceramics.

The decorated assemblage cannot differentiate structure 2 from the rest of the site in terms of its time of occupation. The distribution of datable ceramics only places its occupation as relatively the same time as other structures at Homol'ovi IV. The seriation of ceramics also does not differentiate the structure's occupation from the other excavated structures.

Structure 4

Sherds probably the product of slope wash (Table 8.24). The 107 sherds attributed to floor fill indicates some trash accumulation immediately following abandonment of the structure. The distribution of sherds by ware from floor fill is consistent with the general patterns found for the entire site assemblage. For example, the decorated ceramics are dominated by Winslow Orange Ware and the plain ware is dominated by Tusayan Gray Ware, both consistent with general site trends. Considering that structures 4 and 5 were two of the last constructed at Homol'ovi IV, these ceramic trends illustrate the lack of differentiation in the ceramics throughout the occupation life at the village. There is no way to differentiate structures or deposits within or between structures consistently from one another.

Table 8.24 Ceramic Ware Inventory for Structure 4

PD/Ware	Fill	Fl. Fill	Floor/Feat.	Subfloor	TOTAL	Percent
Winslow Orange Ware	8	18	2	75	103	15.33
Tsegi Series						0.00
Jeddito Series	2	5		56	63	9.38
Jeddito Yellow Ware	2	1		4	7	1.04
White Mountain Red Ware		1		1	2	0.29
Roosevelt Red Ware						0.00
Hopi White Ware	3	6		9	18	2.68
Tusayan White Ware		6		22	28	4.17
Little Colorado White Ware		1		1	2	0.30
Cibola White Ware				12	12	1.79
Unknown Decorated		2		11	13	1.93
Total Decorated	15	40	2	191	248	36.90
Tusayan Gray Ware	16	35		205	256	38.09
Little Colorado Gray Ware	1	1		15	17	2.53
Homolovi Orange Ware		3		4	7	1.04
Homolovi Gray Ware		6		14	20	2.98
Alameda Brown Ware	7	14		74	95	14.14
Mogollon Brown Ware	1	1			2	0.29
San Francisco Gray Ware						0.00
Unknown Plain	1	7		19	27	4.02
Total Plain	26	67		331	424	63.10
TOTAL	41	107	2	522	672	100.00

This fact is underscored when the ceramic assemblage from the fill below the floor of structure 4 is compared to that of the fill from structure 4. The only significant difference between the two assemblages is that there is twice the frequency of Jeddito Series orange ware in the subfloor assemblage. This, however, is not a chronological effect and, because the subloor assemblage is five times the size of the fill assemblage, could easily be the product of sample size, as could any of the other slight differences in the two assemblages. Of particular chronological notes is the absence of Homolovi Polychrome from either assemblage of Winslow Orange Ware. This type has been determined to be slightly later in its production than the other types in this ware (Adams 2002; Lyons and Hays-Gilpin 2001).

Structure 5

Structure 5 is the companion to structure 4. The two structures are the product of the later division of one structure. The subfloor deposits are continuous beneath the floor of structures 4 and 5. The frequency of sherds in the fill of structure 5 is half of that in structure 4 and there are no floor fill ceramics. These trends suggest the fill of the structure is natural and the sherds probably originate from slope wash. There are only 21 sherds on the floor, too low a frequency to make any statistically relevant conclusions.

In contrast, over 1600 sherds were collected from the subfloor of structure 5 (Table 8.25). The frequency and diversity of ceramics from the subfloor of structure 5 is quite similar to that beneath the floor of structure 4, supporting the depositional evidence learned from excavation of the area. For example, the frequency of decorated ceramics is within 0.5%. The frequency of the most common types, Winslow Orange Ware, Tusayan Gray Ware, and Alameda Brown Ware are all within 1.0% of each other. The assemblages cannot be differentiated statistically. The only differences are within the smaller frequency ceramics where Tusayan White Ware is nearly twice as frequent in the structure 5 subfloor assemblage and the Jeddito Series is nearly 50% more common in the structure 4 subfloor assemblage. As with structure 4, there are no Homolovi Polychrome types within the large assemblage of Winslow Orange Ware within structure 5 or beneath its floor.

Table 8.25 Ceramic Ware Inventory for Structure 5

PD/Ware	Fill	Floor/Feat.	Subfloor	TOTAL	Percent
Winslow Orange Ware	3	5	218	226	13.45
Tsegi Series			7	7	0.42
Jeddito Series	3	1	129	133	7.92
Jeddito Yellow Ware			17	17	1.01
White Mountain Red Ware	3		3	6	0.36
Roosevelt Red Ware			1	1	0.06
Hopi White Ware			24	24	1.43
Tusayan White Ware	5		128	133	7.92
Little Colorado White Ware			4	4	0.24
Cibola White Ware			9	9	0.54
Unknown Decorated		1	51	52	3.10
Total Decorated	14	7	591	612	36.43
Tusayan Gray Ware	13	9	615	637	37.92
Little Colorado Gray Ware			24	24	1.43
Homolovi Orange Ware			13	13	0.77
Homolovi Gray Ware			53	53	3.15
Alameda Brown Ware	31	2	243	276	16.43
Mogollon Brown Ware			3	3	0.18
San Francisco Gray Ware				0	0.00
Unknown Plain		3	59	62	3.69
Total Plain	44	14	1010	1068	63.57
TOTAL	58	21	1601	1680	100.02

Structure 5

Structure 5 is the companion to structure 4. The two structures are the product of the later division of one structure. The subfloor deposits are continuous beneath the floor of structures 4 and 5. The frequency of sherds in the fill of structure 5 is half of that in structure 4 and there are no floor fill ceramics. These trends suggest the fill of the structure is natural and the sherds probably originate from slope wash. There are only 21 sherds on the floor, too low a frequency to make any statistically relevant conclusions.

In contrast, over 1600 sherds were collected from the subfloor of structure 5 (Table 8.25). The frequency and diversity of ceramics from the subfloor of structure 5 is quite similar to that beneath the floor of structure 4, supporting the depositional evidence learned from excavation of the area. For example, the frequency of decorated ceramics is within 0.5%. The frequency of the most common types, Winslow Orange Ware, Tusayan Gray Ware, and Alameda Brown Ware are all within 1.0% of each other. The assemblages cannot be differentiated statistically. The only differences are within the smaller frequency ceramics where Tusayan White Ware is nearly twice as frequent in the structure 5 subfloor assemblage and the Jeddito Series is nearly 50% more common in the structure 4 subfloor assemblage. As with structure 4, there are no Homolovi Polychrome types within the large assemblage of Winslow Orange Ware within structure 5 or beneath its floor.

Structure 201

Structure 201 has the largest total ceramic assemblage of any excavated structure at Homol'ovi IV, slightly larger than that of structure 5 (Table 8.26). The two structures account for 50% of the total structure assemblage at Homol'ovi IV. The distribution of the assemblage is heavily weighted toward the midden deposits below the floor of the structure, which accounts for 73% of the assemblage. A small assemblage of partially reconstructible vessels of Jeddito Yellow Ware and Tusayan Gray Ware were recovered from the fill and floor fill of the structure. These may represent de facto refuse, or artifacts reused and left when the structure was abandoned. As a total assemblage, the ceramics from structure 201 have fewer Tusayan Gray Ware, which is balanced by slightly higher frequencies of Homolovi Orange and Gray Ware and Little Colorado Gray Ware. The Winslow Orange Ware frequency is slightly below the site average.

Table 8.26 Ceramic Ware Inventory for Structure 201

PD/Ware	Fill	Floor/Feat.	Subfloor	TOTAL	Percent
Winslow Orange Ware	43	21	170	234	13.40
Tsegi Series			4	4	0.23
Jeddito Series	4		110	114	6.53
Jeddito Yellow Ware	17		4	21	1.20
White Mountain Red Ware		2	3	5	0.29
Roosevelt Red Ware			6	6	0.34
Hopi White Ware	4	7	25	36	2.06
Tusayan White Ware	18	14	95	127	7.27
Little Colorado White Ware			16	16	0.92
Cibola White Ware			51	51	2.92
Unknown Decorated			19	19	1.09
Total Decorated	86	44	503	633	36.25
Tusayan Gray Ware	137	85	332	554	31.73
Little Colorado Gray Ware	5	3	150	158	9.05
Homolovi Orange Ware	8	10	36	54	3.09
Homolovi Gray Ware	6	5	74	85	4.87
Alameda Brown Ware	43	27	181	251	14.38
Mogollon Brown Ware	1			1	0.06
San Francisco Gray Ware	1			1	0.06
Unknown Plain	5	4		9	0.52
Total Plain	206	134	773	1113	63.75
TOTAL	292	178	1276	1746	100.01

For the fill portion of the structure, the frequency of Jeddito Yellow Ware is 5.82%, five times the site average (Table 8.29). These are primarily from varieties of the type, Huckovi, manufactured between 1250 and 1325 at villages on the Hopi Mesas. The Winslow Orange Ware in the fill of the structure contains four Homolovi Polychrome sherds; whereas, the subfloor fill contains another two. These low frequencies of Homolovi Polychrome (6.35% in the fill and floor fill, and 1.18% in the subfloor) are in accord with their low frequency (5.91%) in the Founder Phase at Homol'ovi III, which is dated at 1280-1290 (Adams 2001:table 7.9; Lyons and Hays-Gilpin 2001:table 8.5). There are no typological differences between the assemblages in the fill of the structure and those beneath the floor of the structure and, thus, they cannot be differentiated temporally.

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