Ceramic: Mancos Black-on-white (Sosi style), effigy vessel, AZRU-00001/802

Mancos Black-on-white (Sosi style), animal effigy vessel, Accession AZRU-00001, Catalog #802, Morris FS 4305. Analyzed by Lori Reed 2006. Temper is diorite porphyry, sherd, and sand indicating production in the central Mesa Verde region. Vessel was probably a pitcher with an animal head at the orifice. Base of body has four stubs where legs were attached. Vessel is missing head, legs, and tail. About 90% of original vessel is present; 7% is a reconstruction with unknown plaster material, remaining 3% is the missing head, legs, and tail. Measurements: 2.3 cm orifice diameter (based on broken neck/head), 10.5 cm height from base to broken head/handle. Image AZRU1-802 A: posterior view showing broken tail. Image AZRU1-802 B: right side view of vessel body showing design. Image AZRU1-802 C: anterior view showing broken head at orifice. Image AZRU1-802 D: oblique angle top view showing orifice, missing head, and handle design. 60% of handle is reconstruction. Recovered from Earl Morris excavation of Kiva Q, Aztec West Ruin. Morris (1924:257) mentions Kiva Q as a comparison to kivas in the West Ruin Annex: "Kiva A.2 is of a different type, but from its similarity to
Kiva Q in the main ruin, which is of known Chaco age, it must be considered
contemporaneous with Kiva A.1." No other published description of Kiva Q is available. Reference: Earl Morris, 1924, Burials in the Aztec Ruin, Volume XXVI, Part III, Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History, New York.