Ancient Art of the Mimbres Culture

Ancient Art of the Mimbres Culture
The Mimbres culture was relatively isolated in southwestern New Mexico and eastern Arizona. It
reached its zenith about the year 1050 in the Mimbres river valley 20 miles east of what is now
Silver City, New Mexico. It is not fully known what happened to this culture. Overpopulation
and drought may have strained their natural resources, and they may have expired or move on to
join other cultures. Around A.D. 1150, the Mimbres people deserted their villages, taking all of
the household goods they could carry to an unknown destination. Archaeologists have found no
evidence of disease, famine, or warfare that might have prompted emigration on such a large
scale. The pots and artifacts left behind allow us to share moments of an ancient world that might
have otherwise been lost.
Approximately 10,000 ceramic bowls have been unearthed and easily that many remain buried in
hundreds of small ruins located where water was regularly found. All the very large ruins (100300 rooms), except one, TJ Ruin, have been destroyed by the professionals in the late '20s and
early '30s and by the amateur and commercial pot hunters since then. In 1989, New Mexico
legislated the prohibition of disturbance of an unmarked human grave to halt the looting of this
wonderful art. The delicate issue of trespass on Native American ancestors was the excuse with
preservation of the cultural asset the motive.
Red Iron Oxide can make a rust color as well
a black color, dependant upon firing.
Burial chamber showing "killed" pottery.
The pottery survived because it was a Mimbres custom to bury their deceased beneath the floor
of a house along with one or more bowls. Often the bottom of the bowl was punched out
("killed") before it was placed over the head or face of the corpse. This was done to release the
spirit of the bowl and the human into the spirit world.
Mimbres Black-on-White pottery is the most famous artifact of the Mimbres culture. The term
Black-on-White is misleading as varied firing temperatures produce hues ranging from bright
orange to russet brown to black. The bold iron designs were painted on a white clay slip using
yucca brushes. Mimbres pottery is usually hemispheric in shape, about 10 inches in diameter and
5 inches deep. The pots were made using coils of local earthenware, formed into a fired clay
base, and scraped smooth. The pots were fired in large above ground kilns, using wood and
dung for fuel. Firing the iron decoration in an open fire often caused it to turn black or dark
brown. Mimbres potters were primarily women, though men may have contributed to some
stages of production.
Mimbres iconography depicts animals encountered in daily life, people in daily routines, or
geometric designs. Cranes, turkeys, fish, mosquitoes or hummingbirds, small mammals, and
humans often grace Mimbres pottery. It has also been inferred that the Mimbres were a peaceful
people in regular contact with other Southwestern cultures such as the Anasazi, Hohokam and
the Chichimec trading cultures. This communication is shown in occasional images of animals
and plants, which are not native to the Mimbres river valley, shown in many of their ceramic
pieces. For example, comparisons of fish imagery indicate that many species represented are
saltwater fish from the Gulf of California, over 500 kilometers away. Other pots show men
swimming among such fish and carrying burden baskets of fish. The Mimbres may have visited
the California Gulf on a seasonal basis to supplement their food supply and collect shells for
trade and jewelry making, or they may have encountered a preserved fish or fish image during
trade with other tribes.
A wide variety of animals, are depicted in Mimbres pottery, including fish, birds, bats, lizards,
frogs, rabbits, and turtles. While the images of animals, fish, birds and human figures are highly
stylized, details are often emphasized. Images of animal and fish species provide tremendous
insight into Mimbres life ways.
The nonfigurative curvilinear and geometric patterns are more difficult to interpret. Triangles
and circles are the most common shapes used. Variants include diamonds, squares, crosses, and
spirals. These, combined with amazingly fine and consistent lines, form complex yet balanced
arrangements. Images tend to be in the center of the vessel, reaching outward or framing the base
of the bowl. Patterns usually border the rim of the bowl and are usually split into four or more
sections radiating from the center of the bowl. Banded divisions and overall repeated patterns are
also common.
Iconography showing a hunter/warrior, and a lizard.
Bowl showing men swimming with fish.
Human depictions provide the most comprehensive glimpses of Mimbres life and ritual. Solitary
figures engage in a variety of activities, often every day tasks. Other images show singular
human figures in ceremonial or mythical scenes. There are several images of men holding
wooden staffs similar to those found in nearby caves.
Although any intended meanings have been lost to time, the tension of dark and light motifs
suggests an energetic struggle of opposing forces. Jagged triangular motifs recall lightening.
Curvilinear and spiral designs may refer to water. Such interpretation is plausible considering the
importance of water to Mimbres survival and the presence of religious and rainmaking imagery
on other Mimbres pots. Unfortunately, much information regarding the context of Mimbres
pottery has been lost due to pot hunting and careless excavation.