Jar · Late Prehistoric
Hohokam red-on-buff jar
700–1150 CE, Hohokam
The red-on-buff jar is the painted ware of the Hohokam of southern Arizona, about 700 to 1,150 CE, made by paddle-and-anvil in a buff-firing clay with micaceous schist temper and painted in red with repeated small elements. Types such as Snaketown, Gila Butte, Santa Cruz and Sacaton red-on-buff date sites. Complete jars are rare.
| Object | Jar |
|---|---|
| Dates | 700–1150 CE |
| Period | Late Prehistoric |
| Cultures | Hohokam |
| Regions | North America — Southwest |
Diagnostic traits
Buff-firing paddle-and-anvil jar with red repeated small-element designs; micaceous schist temper.
Identification
The buff paste with glittering mica and the red paint of repeated small motifs, dancers and animals distinguish it from Ancestral Puebloan black-on-white and from Mogollon brown wares; the paddle-and-anvil construction leaves anvil marks inside. Gila shoulders on late jars are diagnostic. Vessels are thin and light.
Reproductions and fakes
Reproductions are made for the tourist trade in Arizona and Mexico but seldom convincingly imitate the micaceous paste; genuine sherds show weathered paint and interior anvil marks. Complete vessels are often restored.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Hohokam red-on-buff jar" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/hohokam-red-on-buff-jar. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-hohokam-red-on-buff-jar,
title = {Hohokam red-on-buff jar},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/hohokam-red-on-buff-jar}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.