32 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[bull. 41 



Zuiii, being practically identical in character with that of the other 

 ancient pueblos of the Little Colorado and its tributaries. 



Fig. 0. Fragment of pottery. 



Decoration 



As a rule, the decoration on pottery from Spruce-tree House is simple, 

 being composed mainly of geometrical patterns. Life forms are rare, 

 when present consisting chiefly of birds or rude figures of mammals 



painted on the outside of food bowls 

 (fig. 6) , The geometrical figures are 

 principally rectilinear, there being 

 a great paucity of spirals and curved 

 lines. The tendency to arrange 

 rows of dots along straight lines 

 is marked in Mesa Verde pottery 

 and occurs also in dados of house 

 Avails. There are many examples 

 of stepped or terraced figures which are so arranged in pairs that 

 the spaces between the terraces form zigzag bands, as shown in figure 

 7. A band extending from the upper left 

 hand, to the lower right hand, angle of the 

 rectangle that incloses the two terraced figures, 

 may be designated a sinistral, and when at 

 right angles a dextral, terraced figure (fig. 8). 

 Specimens from Spruce-tree House show con- 

 siderable modification in these two types. 



With exception of the terrace the triangle (fig. 9) is possibly the 

 most common geometrical decoration on Spruce-tree House pottery. 



Most of the triangles may be bases of ter- 

 raced figures, for by cutting notches on 

 the longer sides of these triangles, sinistral 

 or dextral stej^ped figures (as the case may 

 be) result. 



The triangles may be placed in a row, 

 united in hourglass forms, or distributed 

 in other ways. These triangles may be equilateral or one of the 

 angles may be very acute. Although the possibilities of triangle 

 combinations are almost innumerable the 

 different forms can be readily recognized. 

 The dot is a common form of decoration, 

 and parallel lines also are much used. 

 Many bowls are decorated with hachure, 

 and with line ornaments mostly rectilinear. 



The volute plays a part, although not a conspicuous one, in Spruce- 

 tree House pottery decoration. Simple volutes are of two kinds, 



Fig. 7. Zigzag ornament. 



Fig. 8. Sinistral and dextral 

 stepped figures. 



P'lG, 



Triangle ornament. 



