SMALL POTS, BIG QUESTIONS:
NEW EXHIBIT AT THE ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTER
The Anasazi Heritage Center has a new “showcase” exhibit featuring the Chappell Collection of
Ancestral Puebloan ceramics, thanks to the Anasazi Historical Society and designer Chris Kantner.
The exhibit “Small Pots, Big Questions” looks into mysteries posed by the pint-sized and thimble-sized
vessels found in local archaeological sites. These are the sort of artifacts sometimes overlooked in our
bigger-is-better society. Some of the vessels are too tiny to be of practical use, leading to speculation that
they could have had a special meaning for their makers.
Cultures throughout the world make oddly small versions of common objects. Collectors value
“miniatures” for sentimental or artistic reasons rather than practical ones. Sometimes miniatures serve as
toys for children, as talismans or good-luck charms. But the smallest of ancient Puebloan pots continue to
resist any easy explanation.
For Chris Kantner, part of the museum’s Curation staff, creating the exhibit was a learning experience. “I
was trying to pull together many archaeologists’ ideas about why these little pots were made,” remembers
Kantner. But she found that “miniature” has no definition among archaeologists, and many pottery forms
come in a continuous size range rather than as miniatures per se.
In planning the exhibit Kantner chose to show a variety of small pots, sharing the unknowns while posing
questions to museum visitors: Do small pots stand out as special somehow? How can we find clues to
their function?
One researcher measured fingerprints fired into ceramic surfaces. She learned that figurines were made by
people as young as four years old while the makers of cooking pots were at least ten. Another specialist in
human development measured the manual skill required to make a given kind of pot, as a key to the age
of the maker. The results say that children did indeed make some of the tiny pots, but many were made by
adults.
The context of a pot’s discovery—whether in a refuse pile, a kiva niche, or a burial—could offer clues to
the meaning of a miniature. Abrasions, nicks, and stains—or the lack of them—might also tell a story. A
few had obvious uses, such as a blue-stained cup that held a painter’s pigments. But so far no clear pattern
has emerged.
The Anasazi Historical Society is a local, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting awareness of
Southwest Colorado’s history and prehistory. The AHS owns the Chappell Collection—artifacts
recovered by Clifford and Ruth Chappell during the mid-20th century—which is on permanent loan to the
Anasazi Heritage Center. The AHS also sponsors student internships to encourage the development of
museum professionals.
The Anasazi Heritage Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management since 1988, is 3 miles west of
Dolores and 10 miles north of Cortez on State Highway 184. The Center is open from 9 to 5 daily until
October 31, then from 10 to 5 daily until February. For more information, call (970) 882-5600, or visit the
Center’s web site at www.co.blm.gov/ahc.
--END--