Exploring Changes In
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SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: EXPLORING CHANGES IN ICONOGRAPHY IN THE CONTACT ERA RIO GRANDE PUEBLO WORLD by HEATHER LYNN SELTZER B.A., Binghamton University, State University of New York, 2015 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology 2017 This thesis entitled: Signs and Symbols: Exploring Changes in Iconography in the Contact Era Rio Grande Pueblo World written by Heather L. Seltzer has been approved by the Department of Anthropology Dr. Catherine Cameron Committee Chair Dr. Scott Ortman Committee Member Dr. Arthur Joyce Committee Member Date: The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signators, and we find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards of scholarly work in Anthropology. ii Seltzer, Heather Lynn (MA, Anthropology) Signs and Symbols: Exploring Changes in Iconography in the Contact Era Rio Grande Pueblo World Thesis directed by Dr. Catherine Cameron This thesis examines Puebloan iconography on pottery from the Northern and Middle Rio Grande Valleys from the pre-Contact through the Post-Revolt period to assess the impact of the Spanish on the Pueblo people. The Spanish conquistadors and missionaries created upheaval in the Pueblo people world upon their arrival in the Rio Grande area during the 16th century. The social tensions that resulted forced a blending of ideas and culture between the two groups, demonstrated in the ethnographic records of Pueblo communities. The 1680 Pueblo Revolt and cultural revitalization movement by Puebloan groups sought to return indigenous peoples to their heritage through an emphasis on traditional religious practices and lifeways. There was variability among the Pueblos at this time with their response to the Spanish, as well as during the Pueblo Revolt. Results indicate that Spanish colonization mainly impacted vessel form and caused a decrease in the use overtly religious motifs on pottery, such as anthropomorphic religious figures, including, kachinas and awanyus. These differences are particularly noted in the Contact and Revolt period Middle Rio Grande, as opposed to the Tewa communities in the Northern Rio Grande. No evidence for the adoption of European motifs in my sample was identified. This research is significant because it is some of the only regionally-based exploration of the impacts of Spanish contact and the Pueblo Revolt on ceramic forms and iconography. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge certain individuals and organizations for providing significant assistance in the writing of this thesis, access to collections, or financial support. I would especially like to thank my advisor Catherine Cameron for tremendous advice and critical comments. I thank the other members of my committee, Scott Ortman and Arthur Joyce (and Pepe). I further thank the following institutions and individuals for providing access to their collections: Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Julia Clifton), Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Melissa Bechhoefer), Western Archeological Conservation Center (Paige Hoskins), Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Laura Costello), Salinas National Monument (Marc LeFrancois). I thank the following organizations for providing financial support for my research: Colorado Archaeological Society, University of Colorado Boulder Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado Boulder Department of Anthropology, and the University of Colorado Boulder Graduate School. I would also like to thank Thatcher Rogers, for proof reading and encouragement and Samantha Linford for support and endless coffee runs that fueled my thesis. I would also like to thank Kaitlyn Davis for discussions on the Rio Grande. Lastly, I thank my precious kitten, Sunny, who has helped me through the entire thesis process. iv Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Importance of the Study .............................................................................................................. 6 Methods....................................................................................................................................... 7 Summary of Results .................................................................................................................... 7 Thesis Outline ............................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2: Background ................................................................................................................. 11 Geography and Environmental Setting ..................................................................................... 11 The Northern and Middle Rio Grande before Contact ............................................................. 14 Developmental Period ........................................................................................................... 15 Coalition Period .................................................................................................................... 17 Classic Period........................................................................................................................ 18 Contact Period/Historic Period ............................................................................................. 20 Pueblo Revolt of 1680 .......................................................................................................... 28 Between the Revolt and the Reconquista.............................................................................. 33 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 36 Chapter 3: Rio Grande Pottery ...................................................................................................... 38 Classic Period Pottery ............................................................................................................... 38 Black-on-White Pottery ........................................................................................................ 39 Glaze Wares .......................................................................................................................... 40 Previous Research on Rio Grande Pottery ................................................................................ 43 Important Motif Interpretations ................................................................................................ 55 v The Importance of Birds and their use among Pueblo Groups ............................................. 56 Bird Images on Kiva Murals ................................................................................................. 59 Stepped and Terraced Elements ............................................................................................ 60 Triangles ............................................................................................................................... 61 Awanyus ............................................................................................................................... 61 Motif Summary ..................................................................................................................... 61 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 61 Chapter 4: Methods ....................................................................................................................... 63 Overview of Data Sources ........................................................................................................ 63 Methodology of Data Collection and Analysis ......................................................................... 64 Attributes and Attribute States .................................................................................................. 67 Vessel Form .......................................................................................................................... 67 Ceramic Type and Temporal Association............................................................................. 69 Motif Types ........................................................................................................................... 71 Condition of Paint ................................................................................................................. 82 Recording Problems .................................................................................................................. 83 Theoretical Perspectives ........................................................................................................... 84 Culture Contact ..................................................................................................................... 85 Social Identity ....................................................................................................................... 88 Conclusion of Methods Section ................................................................................................ 90 Chapter 5: Analysis of Results ...................................................................................................... 92 Form Analysis 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