Presidio San Agustin del Tucson Museum

During the Presidio era, from 1776 to 1856, local O'odham potters manufactured ceramic vessels that they traded to the Spanish and Mexican inhabitants of the fort. The Native Americans probably received cloth, beads, buttons, sewing goods, ammunition, and other items. The Presidio residents in turn got vessels to store water and foodstuffs, and to cook food in. It was difficult for the Presidio folks to get large containers because the nearest stores were in Arizpe and Imuris, over 100 miles to the south. Large metal containers were probably rare at the Presidio.

During our archaeological excavations prior to the construction of the Presidio Museum, we found several reconstructible O'odham vessels.

Decorated serving bowl.

Sobaipuri Piman bean pot. Note the exterior sooting from when it was exposed to smoke.

Chocolatero pot.

Comal fragment.

Chocolatero pots, which were used to make the morning hot chocolate, and comals, which were griddles to make wheat and flour tortillas, were made only during the historic period. Apparently the O'odham potters based the designs on metal examples used by the Spaniards.

Recently, O'odham potter Reuben Naranjo made three replica vessels for the Presidio Museum.