Fitzmaurice Series

Described by: Christenson 2000, 2002; called Tuzigoot Plain by James (1974:107-6) and Frampton (2000) on the basis of similarities to the published type.

Types Sites: Fitzmaurice Ruin (NA 4031) and several sites in the StoneRidge development

Finishing: usually minimal; bowl interiors - wiped (3/8), smoothed (2/8); bowl exteriors - wiped (5/9), smoothed (1/9); jar interiors - wiped (6/10); jar exteriors - wiped (6/10), smoothed (1/10); very common for wiping to be along the edges near the rim; the rim surface itself also may show wiping marks; wiping marks can range from fine lines to deep grooves

Firing: both interior and exterior indicate firing in an oxidizing atmosphere (14/20); occasionally the interior (3/20), exterior (1/20), or both surfaces (1/20) indicate a reducing atmosphere and may be evidence of smudging

Temper: medium texture, although occasionally as large as 8 mm; moderate to high abundance (32% in the one petrographic sample); black crystals of pyroxene and amphibole usually make up 50% or more of the sand-size inclusions; pieces of feldspar make up the remainder of the inclusions; quartz is rare; fine mica, usually gold-colored, is almost always present; this temper is presumed to come from crushing local gabbro or collecting sand from drainages cutting through the gabbro

Surface Appearance and Color: temper usually visible on surfaces; ranges from light red (2.5YR 6/6 [1/11]) to reddish brown and yellowish red (5YR 5-6/3 or 6 [7/11]) to brown and light brown (7.5YR 5-6/4 [3/11])

Thickness (measured 1.5 cm below rim): bowls - 4.2 to 6.7 mm (X = 5.3, n = 9); jars - 3.7 to 9.6 mm (x = 6.3, n = 11)

Weathering and Use Wear Patterns: interiors of vessels (presumably jars) often show heavy erosion, exposing wall interior (see James 1974:107)

Vessel Forms: bowls with vertical (4/8) or outcurved (4/8) rims; necked jars with outcurved (8/11) or vertical (3/11) rims; seed jars reported by James (1974:107) (see illustrations in James 1974:Figure 58)

Rims: bowls - round (7/11), beveled (2/11), flat (1/11), tapered (1/11); jars - round (5/10), flat (3/10), beveled (2/10) (see illustrations in James 1974:Figure 57)

Varieties: Although the bulk of the sherds in this series have a predominance of black mineral inclusions, some have a majority of white inclusions with just a scattering of black. These sherds are similar to Prescott Gray, except that the temper texture is a little less coarse, the paste color is browner, and fine gold mica is sometimes present.

James (1974:108-110) reports red and black decorated examples and fingernail indented and basketry or textile impressed (on interiors) examples. Except for one basket-impressed sherd, these decorative variations have not been recorded on StoneRidge sites (which are earlier than Fitzmaurice Ruin) and so their formal description must await examination of a larger sample from Fitzmaurice Ruin.

Comparison: Prescott Gray Ware has crushed granitic rock temper, sometimes with silver mica, rarely with gold, and temper is usually coarser; Tuzigoot Plain has multicolored sherd and arkosic sand temper and temper is rarely visible on the surface

Slip: thin red (2.5YR 5/6), light red (2.5YR 6/6 or 8), or deep red (no Munsell)

Vessel Form: A complete jar of this type from the Johnston College excavation at Fitzmaurice (R-2, CW-2) is at the Smoki Museum. It has a neck with an outcurved rim and the body has a low Gila shoulder. It is 12.9 cm tall and 14.6 cm in diameter. The orifice is 9.7 cm in outside diameter.

Varieties: James (1974:108-109) reports white and black painted decoration on red-slipped vessels at Fitzmaurice Ruin.

2000 [Counts and notes on analysis of Johnston College ceramic collection from Fitzmaurice Ruin.] Copy on file at Smoki Museum, Prescott.

1974 Analysis of Potsherds and Ceramic Wares. In Excavation of Main Pueblo at Fitzmaurice Ruin, by Franklin Barnett, pp. 106-129. Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff.