McElmo Black-on-white Canteen

The ancestral Pueblo great houses at Aztec Ruins are located in the Animas River Valley, one of three rivers that converge near the park in the high desert environment of northwest New Mexico. Just like today, water was a critical resource for people living in the area, and the ability to store or carry water was a necessity. This "football"� shaped canteen is a relatively common pottery form that was used for carrying water. Although the one pictured here is small, canteens were made in various sizes and shapes. The small opening at the top would have been plugged with a corncob, and a piece of yucca cordage would have been looped through the two handles on either side of the opening. Canteens such as this one were likely carried by people farming the fields, gathering wild plants, hunting for game, or making the trek to visit nearby settlements. Archeologists refer to the painted design style on this canteen as McElmo Black-on-white.