32 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



The resolution was adopted, and Messrs. Parry, J. D. Put- 

 nam and Preston were appointed on the committee. 



The Secretary stated that he had been unable to procure the 

 publication of Dr. Parry's memorial of Dr. Lapham, the event 

 not being sufficiently recent. 



The following paper was then read, and referred to the Pub- 

 lication Committee. 



Manufacture of Pottery toy Mojave Indian Women. 



BY DR. EDWARD PALMER. 



At the landing of Europeans on the American continent, they found 

 the native Indians in possession of pottery, the excellence of which was 

 praised by the strangers. The manufacture of pottery seems to have 

 been can'ied on all over the American continent, that of Chili ^nd Peru 

 being of superior quality to that of any other section. The pottery grad- 

 ually assumes an interior quality northward, and becomes especially so 

 in the northern and eastern mounds. 



There seems to be two divisions of the American Indians, the Toltecs 

 and Aztecs, both of whom are found to be makers of pottery, but of very 

 different qualities. The Toltecs are makers of the superior pottery, and 

 are represented by the Pimo Indians of Arizona, the Moqui and Rio 

 Grande Indians of New Mexico. This division is distinguished from the 

 other, not only by their pottery, but also by their superior dwellings and 

 the manner of disposing of the dead, by burying instead of burning, as 

 is practised by the Aztecs. The pottery of the Aztecs is very inferior to 

 that of the Toltecs in quality, decoration and glazing ; in fact, it is of a 

 rudeness that would almost warrant the conclusion that they had bor- 

 rowed the art from their neighbors, and had just completed their first 

 lesson— that of making a plain, rough pot. 



Both these divisions of Indians existed at the discovery of America. 

 The women have always been superior to the men in their knowledge and 

 successful prosecution of the domestic arts and manufactures, and liave 

 always been the sole pottery makers. If a man or his children depended 

 upon him to make a pot to cook or eat from, they would starve before 

 they would have one. As the female artists of both divisions use the 

 same means of constructing pottery, it may be interesting to many to 

 know how pottery is made by the native women of our continent. 



Last summer I visited the Mojave Indian reservation on the Colorado 

 River, Arizona, for the purpose of making a collection of their native 

 foods, manufactures, etc. Wishing a set of dishes of their make, I en- 

 gaged the services of a native woman. She was instructed to bring 

 wliatever was necessary to make the pottery to the agency so that I could 

 see the process. 



The next day she appeared, as desired, accompanied by an assistant. 



