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An Unusual Birth Depicted in Mimbres Pottery: Not Cracked up to What It is Supposed to Be

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Brian S. Shaffer ,
Karen M. Gardner  and
Harry J. Shafer
Brian S. Shaffer
Affiliation:
Zooarchaeology Laboratory, Institute of Applied Sciences, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 310559, Denton, TX 76203-0559
Karen M. Gardner
Affiliation:
Prewitt and Associates, 7701 North Lamar, Suite 104, Austin, TX 78752-1012
Harry J. Shafer
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4352
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Abstract

Hegmon and Trevathan's (1996) contention that Mimbres figurative pottery was probably painted by men ignorant about birthing, as evidenced by a virtually impossible birthing scene, is unsubstantiated. This claim was due to a lack of familiarity with the birthing motif they described, as well as selective and unrepresentative use of relevant ethnographic and historical data. We find no evidence that men painted Mimbres pottery.

El argumento de Hegmon y Trevathan de que la cerámica realista de Mimbres fue probablemente pintada por hombres ignorantes del nacimiento humano, basado en una Imogen de nacimiento virtualment imposible, no tiene fundamento. Este argumento demuestra poco conocimiento del motivo decorativo por ellas descrito, además del uso selectivo e incompleto de information histórica y ethnogrdfica. No encontrámos evidencia de que los hombres pintaron la cerámica de Mimbres.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 62 , Issue 4 , October 1997 , pp. 727 - 732
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1997

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