40 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 81 
unique decoration. It would be interesting to find more of these 
pieces and see how far the art was developed. (Pl. 37, F) 
BLACK COOKING WARE 
The black cooking ware and the biscuit ware were probably con- 
temporaneous and there is no good reason for placing the one before 
the other. The only reason for connecting the sequence in this way 
seems to be that the black cooking ware appears to be a degenera- 
tion of the older and finer grayish-black coiled ware, just as the bis- 
cuit ware appears to be a degeneration of the older black and white. 
In considering this degeneration, if it really is such and not a complete 
change, we must take into consideration the differences in clay, design, 
andform. Local environment, different kinds of clay, and possibly a 
certain amount of carelessness due to migrations and difficulty of 
transportation, any or all of these may be important factors in the 
degeneration change in the pottery. The black cooking ware is repre- 
sented in the collection by large pieces only. There is no doubt that 
there were smaller pieces in use, as is indicated by the sherds found, 
but not enough of any one pot was found to warrant its reconstruction. 
All of those recovered show traces of soot and discoloration from 
fire and thus indicate their use. (Pls. 39, 40.) The largest one 
found is 36 cm. in height and 30 cm. across the top. (PI. 39, A.) 
There are two more pieces of the same ware that do not show 
any traces of fire or soot. The largest of these is a water jar of a 
typical Po-shu form, rather squat, with a sharp shoulder, and was 
found beneath the floor of a room, apparently having been used for 
storage purposes. The other one is smaller, with the same type of 
shoulder but fuller bottom and flaring mouth. It was found in a 
similar position to the one first described and was also used for 
storage. 
All of the black cooking ware has considerable mica in the paste 
as well as a quantity of sand. This makes a pot that at present is 
soft and crumbly, whatever it may have been originally. Possibly 
the constant use over a hot fire may have had some effect in taking 
the hardness out of the paste, or perhaps the long burial in the 
ground may have caused it to deteriorate. This is apparent in the 
two pieces that were used for storage and not subjected to constant 
use over the fire. They are decidedly harder than the regular cook- 
ing pots, notwithstanding they are made of the same material. 
BISCUIT WARE 
Dr. Kidder gives the following explanations as to why he has called 
this pottery biscuit ware: ‘This pottery, so characteristic of the 
ruins of the Pajarito and the northern Rio Grande culture as a whole, 
is distinguishable from all other light-colored wares by its peculiar 
