SYMMETRY AND COLOR PERSPECTIVES ON BASKETMAKER CULTURAL IDENTITIES: EVIDENCE FROM DESIGNS ON COILED BASKETS AND CERAMICS

Abstract

Basketmaker basket designs have long been considered the model for the earliest black-on-white ceramic designs in the northern Southwest. This article explores this premise from the perspective of symmetry analysis. We compare the design systems used to decorate Basketmaker baskets and ceramic bowls, and conclude that although some elements are shared, Basketmaker III basket weavers and potters used different symmetrical layouts to decorate their baskets and ceramic containers. We suggest that some of the more elaborate and complex symmetries found on late Basketmaker baskets and other perishable artifacts might have extraregional sources south of the Four Corners region.