Addressing Some Problems Related to Research on Mimbres Ceramics and their Iconography

Abstract

The Mimbres Black-on-white ceramic tradition that flourished in the region centered in southwest New Mexico ca. AD 750-1130 offers the scholar an almost unrivaled corpus of iconography and has been the subject of many interpretative studies. Unfortunately, much of this research is compromised by the incorporation of vessels from both private and museum collections that lack provenience and provenance information. The publication of privately-held ceramics can increase their market value, and both categories potentially incorporate deceptive post-excavation modifications. Most Mimbres archaeologists have long been aware of this situation, but recent analytical and statistical studies have confirmed these claims. Additionally, the creation of the Mimbres Pottery Images Digital Database (MimPIDD) has made it easier for the researcher to investigate the provenience and provenance of known vessels. This paper argues for studying only vessels with full provenience and provenance, and it proposes a secure dataset thereof for future research.