370 
ANTHROPOLOGY: A. V. KIDDER 
succession of several pottery styles; so that almost any vessel naay be 
placed in its proper chronological relation to any other. Close studies 
of the decoration of these vessels should enable us to recognize and 
tabulate enough true design-sequences to form the basis for a correct 
appreciation of the art tendencies in that area. Several such sequences 
are already becoming apparent; the accompanying incomplete example 
is given as an illustration. 
While the five units in the series are from vessels from various sites, 
stratigraphical studies by Mr. Nelson at San Cristobal and by me at 
Pecos allow it to be stated positively that they 
are arranged in their proper chronological order. 
A description follows. 
In the early black-on-white pottery a common 
design consists of a large triangle with two of its 
corners filled in with black; a pair of opposed 
stepped figures mounted on interlocking 'stalks' 
occupies the remaining rectangular space (fig. 1). 
In a primitive type of biscuitware which succeeds 
the black-on-white the same triangular element is 
often seen, and the two opposed stepped figures 
are also present but have lost their interlocking 
'stalks' and hang suspended in the open space 
(fig. 2). In the biscuitware of a slightly later 
period the stepped elements drop out altogether, 
but the triangle holds to its original shape (fig. 3). 
In still later examples a progressive modification 
takes place in the cut-off and filled-in corners of 
the triangle; they become smaller and their two 
contiguous sides are no longer at right angles to 
each other (fig. 4) . A final step is shown in figure 
5 ; it is characteristic of the last type of biscuitware 
with which we are famiUar. 
This series represents, of course, only a short period in the life of this 
particular design; what phases it passed through in reaching the com- 
pHcated form in which we first encounter it are as yet unknown; nor 
can we tell whether or not it had any later developments. In this short 
sequence we see: first, a progressive simplification due to the dropping 
out of elements (figs. 1, 2, 3); second, a modification in the shape of 
the remaining elements (figs. 4, 5). These data are, of course, too 
scanty for general conclusions, as they illustrate only one of many de- 
signs; they show, however, what interesting results may confidently 
be expected. 
