Discovered pottery shards

[johnger1]

I found these pottery shards in the canyon behind my home. I live on the Rancho Palos Verdes peninsula, north of Los Angeles. Is there any way to determine who made them and when?

 

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[GatorBoy]

I would check your local historical society website or something of that nature.
But I can tell you this.. it looks Spanish and old.. 16-1700's ish
The coarse earthen ware looks like pieces of broken olive jar I've found on Spanish shipwrecks from the 1715 fleet.
The ceramic looks like it might be blue and white porcelain.
Olive jars were often coated with tar on the interior to keep them water tight.
Keep your eye out for a doughnut shaped rim that was the top of the neck. Sometimes they were marked to signify where they came from.
Sometimes the shoulder portion was marked also.











I'd be running my metal detector through there.
Hope that helps...

 

[NC field hunter]

I think I've read and seen pictures of Anazi (spelling) pottery being like yours.

 

[unclemac]

these are very likely what you think they are....here are a few sites to look at...

Tongva people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juaneño - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

the black and white with stripes is indicative...pre and post Spanish contact.

try this one too for fun

california indian pottery - Google Search




Ridgewood --- Ho-Ho-Kus --- Midland Park (look at c3 for instance)

 

[GatorBoy]

Good job guys.. its surprising how much that looks like Spanish pottery.
I was thinking.. Spanish mission.

 

[darthoblio]

They look Indian to me, not Spanish. I used to live in San Diego County, and at one time I had a whole box of shards harvested from the area between Jacumba and the Mexican border. Hard to say how old, but they could be VERY old.

 

[johnger1]

Thanks for the suggestions. The spanish mission makes sense, there's a few spanish missions nearby. The marking on the pottery remind me of markings I've seen on some pieces of Anasazi pottery I collected a while back. But, the Anasazi ones were 2 or 3x's as thick. I forgot to give a reference for size, these are very thin, maybe only 1/8" thick. Also, the Anasazi had a flat finish, these have a bit of a shine to them,possibly glazed. I think the pottery came from elsewhere, as there isn't a local source of clay in the surrounding area and the Tongva people were known for there bowls and similiar objects ground/carved from basalt, as well as weaved baskets, that were so tightly made,they could hold water. My understanding is that due to the clay situation, they didn't produce any pottery. Sorry, I didn't mean to withhold information.

 

[Tnmountains]

Welcome johnger1 informative. I would have guessed a polychrome anasazi. Out of my realm good I.D fellas.

I always like the examples published here as anasazi was not always black and white.

Historical Pottery

 

[alchino]

I've found quite a few artifacts in Palos Verdes too, including shell middens, pestles, sinkers and bone tools. I'm no expert on indian pottery but i would have an expert look at it if i were you. The only possibility that its indian pottery is that its from the spanish, the Tongva were'nt known for their pottery but for their baskets. Either way cool find, and would love to see what else you got!

 

[A2coins]

Very nice