Skip to content

Login
Subscribe
Contact

Classes
Videos
Blog
Shop
Club

Subscribe to my newsletter for a free pottery lesson "how to make a puki"

Classes
Videos
Blog
Shop
Club
Profile
Log In

Courses

Babocomari Polychrome Bowl

Babocomari Polychrome Bowl

Open to access this content

Babocomari Polychrome Bowl Read More »

Tularosa Effigy Handle Pitcher

Open to access this content

Tularosa Effigy Handle Pitcher Read More »

Hohokam Effigy Pitcher

Open to access this content

Hohokam Effigy Pitcher Read More »

Kwakina Polychrome Bowl

Kwakina Polychrome Bowl

Open to access this content

Kwakina Polychrome Bowl Read More »

hohokam bird pot

Hohokam Bird Pot

Open to access this content

Hohokam Bird Pot Read More »

Ancient Potters Club 7 Day Trial

Open to access this content

Ancient Potters Club 7 Day Trial Read More »

Mata Ortiz Pot

Mata Ortiz Style Pot

Open to access this content

Mata Ortiz Style Pot Read More »

Flying Saucer Pot

Open to access this content

Flying Saucer Pot Read More »

1 2 … 9 Next →

This book tells of my journey to learn ancient pottery making and what I discovered along the way.

Blog Subjects

Firing (8)
Handbuilding (14)
In-Person Pottery Workshops (1)
Materials (11)
Replicating (17)
The Lost Pueblo of Chichilticalli (6)
Traditional Southwest Pottery (1)

Products

Books & Merch (4)
In-Person Pottery Workshop (1)
Materials (5)
Online Classes (8)
Pottery (10)
Tools (5)

Shopping Cart

Masterclasses

Wild Clay 101
Coil Pottery Making 101
Natural Pottery Paints, Slips & Pigments
Outdoor Pottery Firing 101

Pages

Home
Classes
About
Blog
Shop
Ancient Potters Club
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Returns and Refunds Policy
Contact Andy

Products

Volcanic Ash Temper $10.00
Red Ware Vase $50.00
Stirrup Pot $75.00

Wupatki National Monument this afternoon. Perfect

Wupatki National Monument this afternoon. Perfect weather for exploring ancient ruins. #wupatki #ancientarizona

Finding "wild" clay in nature might seem intimidat

Finding "wild" clay in nature might seem intimidating at first but that's only because you have not learned what to look for yet. Once you learn the telltale signs of clay you will start to see it everywhere you go.

* Crackled, dry-earth texture
* Sharp, angular chunks
* That signature soapy/waxy feel
* Rich, saturated colors

Spring is here and it's a great time to get outdoors and find some wild clay. Have you found any new clays yet this year?

#wildclay #clayhunting

One of the rarest pottery types of the ancient Sou

One of the rarest pottery types of the ancient Southwest, Cliff White on Red. The information I could find gave the dates of 1390 - 1450 but that seems awfully optimistic. I have never seen a conclusive date in this area past about 1400 so in all likelihood this stuff was made for maybe 10 or 12 years until the last person left the Gila Valley and shut the lights off on their way out the door. The examples show here have been somewhat restored so the white paint looks way better than it would otherwise.

A seed jar is a traditional storage vessel used in

A seed jar is a traditional storage vessel used in Southwestern Native American pottery traditions to hold seeds for the next planting season.

These jars stored precious agricultural seeds safely over the winter. The small opening at the top protected the contents from rodents, insects, moisture, and contamination.

Here are a few seed jars from museums across the Southwest, which is your favorite?

Last week I looked into the possibility of making

Last week I looked into the possibility of making primitive pottery in a big city like Los Angeles. I talked with a few people who make primitive pottery out there, collected clay in the hills and even fired a pot on the beach. My latest YouTube video shows what I learned about making primitive pottery in a big city (link is in my bio)

Did you know that many of the black on white pots

Did you know that many of the black on white pots from the ancient Southwest were originally red on white before firing. That's because the black paint seen on many of these is made from iron hematite that turns black when reduced in the firing.

Our project in the Ancient Potters Club in April has been this Tularosa Black on White pitcher from the Museum of Northern Arizona. I just finished painting this one today, now I will need to fire it in a smothered pit to turn the red into black.

The Ancient Potters Club is my Wednesday night Zoom pottery class. You can learn more at my website AncientPottery.how Next month we will be making a Babocomari Polychrome bowl.

@museumofnaz #ancientpottery #southwestpottery #pitcher #whiteware

Firing pottery on a very windy day at the beach. V

Firing pottery on a very windy day at the beach. Video is forthcoming.

Back in February of 2020 I fired this big Fourmile

Back in February of 2020 I fired this big Fourmile Polychrome jar at Steampump Ranch, then I shot these photos using the replica pithouse as a backdrop. The pithouse is currently covered with a tarp and I am trying to find out when I can get access to the pithouse again to take a few shots for a documentary about the Hohokam that I am working on. Does anyone know who I can contact about getting a few minutes with this pithouse?

The Hohokam pot is not a real pot, it is made from plaster and painted with acrylic paint, but it looks good from a distance. But the polychrome pot and the pithouse are both authentic replicas.
@ovparksandrec #steampumpranch #orovalleyaz #pithouse @archaeologysouthwest

Last weekend was my spring 3 day mug workshop. We

Last weekend was my spring 3 day mug workshop. We formed our pots on Friday, slipped, polished and painted them on Saturday and fired on Sunday. Making and firing pottery outdoors in three days has its risks and there are always a couple cracks or broken handles. But everyone had fun, learned a little and came away with some great looking pottery. I will have another one of these in the fall, so sign up for my email newsletter if you are interested in getting in on the next one. Thanks to everyone who participated in this class and made it a success.

Follow on Instagram

AncientPottery.how is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2026 Ancient Pottery

Scroll to Top

Login

Accessing this course requires a login. Please enter your credentials below!

Username or Email Address

Password

Remember Me

Lost Your Password?

Register

Don't have an account? Register one!

Register an Account

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.