Ceramic sherds. 150 BC–AD 650. Teotihuacan, Mexico. Latin American Archaeology, Winter Collection. UMMAA 56305.

All we know about these sherds is that they were collected from the surface of the massive urban site of Teotihuacan (c. 150 BC–AD 650) in central Mexico in the early 1950s. These otherwise unprovenienced artifacts provide evidence of three different techniques used to decorate ceramics made or used by the residents of the city. The plain orange ware rim fragment on the lower right bears stamped motifs. The piece above it is a small fragment of what was once an elaborate ceramic object. Red-slipped clay discs were appliqued to the vessel wall. White and red pigments were used to decorate the exterior of the large straight walled bowl on the left.

Back to Day 187 or continue to Day 189.

In honor of the University of Michigan’s 2017 bicentennial, we are celebrating the remarkable archaeological and ethnographic collections and rich legacy of research and teaching at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology by posting one entry a day for 200 days. The entries will highlight objects from the collections, museum personalities, and UMMAA expeditions. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is also posting each day for 200 days on Twitter and Facebook (follow along at #KMA200). After the last post, an exhibition on two centuries of archaeology at U-M opens at the Kelsey. Visit the exhibit—a joint project of the UMMAA and the Kelsey—from October 18, 2017 to May 27, 2018.