Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 12:00 noon, free!

Eric Blinman's presentation Mesa Verde Black-on-white: An Attractive Nuisance has been postponed until further notice.

by Eric Blinman, OAS Director

Mesa Verde Black-on-white, examples of which can be seen at left, is probably only second to the Mimbres figurative style as an icon of ancient Southwestern pottery. This vaunted status is true both for the public and for professional archaeologists, and it seems to be true both in an aesthetic and a research sense. One dimension of Mesa Verde Black-on-white is its role as evidence in solving the “mystery of the Anasazi,” as a tool for tracing a generation of potters who were migrants out of the Mesa Verde region to other areas. This talk explores the genesis of the style and its production and use, and examines how archaeologists have used or misused the style through the lens of ceramic ecology.

The Brown Bag talks are held in the OAS conference room at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology. Talks are informal (and you can bring your bag lunch). Usually, seating is adequate, but we have had 80-plus people show up for a talk in a room that can only hold 35. Seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis. Admission is free.

The Center for New Mexico Archaeology (7 Old Cochiti Road) is located off of Caja del Rio Road, across from Challenge New Mexico on the way to the Santa Fe Municipal Golf Course. Take 599 to South Meadows Road, continue through the traffic circle west along the Frontage Road to Caja del Rio Road. CNMA is on the left-hand side of the road and is the large building with white sail-like skylights on the roof.