﻿2l8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 78 



neck and handle (fig. 217, a) lay over the breast of a priest. This 

 vessel probably once contained medicine water. 



By far the most numerous mortuary objects obtained in the Elden 

 Pueblo graves were pottery vessels or utensils made of burnt clay. 

 Each skeleton was accompanied by several pieces of pottery, differing 

 in form, color, and other features, but all characteristic of the ruin. 

 Among the objects represented were ollas, vases, bowls, jugs, dippers, 

 ladles, effigy jars and other forms. Some of these are painted, others 

 are plain pieces without decorations, but there were no specimens of 

 true glazed ware, leading to the conclusion that, in common with the 



Fig. 2x6.— Bracelet made of Pacific Coast clam shell (Pcc- 

 tnncuhis), similar to those on the left forearm of fig. 213. 

 (Diam. 3i".) 



San Juan region, glazing of ceramics had not yet come into vogue at 

 Elden Pueblo when it was in its prime. 



As a rule Elden Pueblo pottery is not of the finest texture — some 

 specimens are very coarse — nor are the decorations carefully made, 

 although variegated. The fact that a relatively large number of pots 

 and bowls were small naturally attracted attention. As several appear 

 too minute for utensils it has been suggested that some of them were 

 specially made as mortuary vessels. None of the vessels was punctured 

 or " killed " before burial, and only one specimen had a " life-line " 

 or break in the surrounding bands. 



The corrugated and coiled ware largely represented at Elden 

 Pueblo appears to be contemporaneous with the black and white 

 specimens which are equally abundant. The latter are coarser than 



