Dr. Suzanne L. Eckert examining pottery sherds in the field
Glaze-painted pottery in the American Southwest is the only pre-European glaze technology in the new world. Ancestral Pueblo peoples began to make glaze paints in the early 14th century and continued to make them until the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. After the revolt, the ingredients for glaze paint recipes were no longer available and the recipes were eventually forgotten. The Pueblo Glaze Ware Project explores the spread of early glaze technology throughout the Pueblo world.This project is a collaboration between Dr. Suzanne Eckert and her colleagues Dr. Judith Habicht-Mauche (retired professor, U.C. Santa Cruz), Dr. Deborah Huntley (senior archaeologist, Tetra Tech), and Dr. Kari Schleher (assistant professor, University of New Mexico).
Dr. Eckert, pictured above, served as an editor (along with Dr. Judith Habicht-Mauche and Dr. Deborah Huntley) for the book "The Social Life of Pots" (2006, University of Arizona Press), which brought together the leading researchers on the topic to synthesize the current understanding of the technology and to identify gaps in our knowledge. In addition, she authored “Pottery and Practice” (2008, University of New Mexico Press), which explores the role of glaze ware in immigrant identity and ritual practice during the first century of its production.
Dr. Eckert and her colleagues continue to examine gaps in our knowledge concerning pueblo glaze ware technology. Currently, Dr. Eckert is doing field research in the Rio Abajo and analyzing museum collections from sites from multiple regions where glaze-painted pottery types are found. She is especially interested in sites that may have been gateways for the introduction of immigrants, new ceremonial practices, and glaze-painted pottery technology into the Rio Grande area. This project is long term, and integrates pioneering research with undergraduate and graduate student involvement.
Suzanne L. Eckert, Ph.D.
Head of Collections
Arizona State Museum / University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210026
Tucson, AZ 85721-0026
520-626-0253
See Dr. Eckert's Profile