40 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 82 



dotted in the center or outlined in white. Terraced elements (nos. 

 5, 6, and 7) are characteristic. They are used .singly, in pairs, or in 

 complex patterns and, less often, in opposed positions as in nos. 8 and 

 9. Spirals fall into two classes: (a) large curvilinear forms consti- 

 tuting a unit of the entire design (fig. 10, c) which are reminiscent of 

 similar devices occurring commonly in Upper Gila black-on-white and 

 in some Little Colorado polychrome but without the solid interlocking 

 element; (b) small angled spirals used as filling elements (fig. 9, 

 nos. 10, II, and 12). The latter is an uncommon form of the inter- 

 locked spiral. Variant forms of the fret (fig. 9, nos. 13 and 14) also 

 (fig. 8, nos. 4, 5, and 6) predominate on bowl exteriors. Combinations 

 of the fret with the above listed elements are frequently used in bowl- 

 interior and olla patterns. 



Structure of designs. — The initial step in applying the decoration 

 was to block out the area to be covered with narrow white framing 

 lines (fig. 10, a). It is evident that the artist had a fair conception of 

 the combination of elements that were to be used before the first 

 pigment was applied. Where panels were to be filled with white only, 

 as in the case represented, that was done before the next color was 

 taken up. 



The second step consisted of applying the heavy black lines inside 

 the white borders (fig. 10, b). The width of these varies somewhat. 

 If drawn within areas later to be filled with other elements, they are 

 seldom more than twice as heavy as the white, but where the white 

 framers connected parts or surrounded the design, the black lines are 

 heavier. 



In the final stage, all bordered areas are filled with coarse hatching 

 (fig. 10, c) which ordinarily parallels the longest side of the block. 

 A variant of hatching is to be noted in the spiral where sets of parallel 

 lines are offset by appended dots. Heavy stepped lines are also used 

 with hatching as fillers. 



The dating of Four-mile polychrome is made possible by a number 

 of cases of its association with timbers that yielded cutting dates. The 

 last big construction period in the Showlow ruin extended over 

 approximately 25 years prior to 1383. The latter date is the most 

 recent cutting date found in over 1200 specimens gathered from 

 various parts of the pueblo. It appears, then,- that no major building 

 was going on after 1383. In 15 rooms belonging to the period in 

 question, Four-mile polychrome was invariably present. This means 

 that the pottery found in a room constructed in, say, 1375, would likely 



