TYPE: Rio Rico Polychrome

DATE: AD 950-1125 (Wallace 1995;465)

TYPICAL COLOR SCHEME: Red and Black-on-Brown, or Red and Black-on-White.

COMMON FORMS: Basically the same as Rincon Red-on-Brown

COMMON BACKGROUND COLORS: Natural brown or white slipped.

BOWL EXTERIORS: Polished, usually no painted trailing lines. 

MICACEOUS TEMPER: Usually none, but some have a moderate amount.

DESIGN PLACEMENT: Basically the same as Rincon Red-on-Brown, usually the interiors of bowls, etc.

COMMON DESIGNS: Layouts and designs are usually the same as Rincon Red-on-Brown in conjunction with black designs usually counter-balancing the red designs.

KEY DIFFERENCES: Rio Rico Polychrome differs from Rincon Polychrome, in that it has red and black designs on a brownware, while Rincon Polychrome usually has black-on-white designs on a redware.

COMMENTS: If Rio Rico and Rincon Polychromes had been discovered at the same time and place that Rincon Red-on-Brown was discovered, it would be likely that Rio Rico Polychrome would have been named “Rincon Polychrome”, and Rincon Polychrome should have been named “Rincon Red Polychrome”.

1Y Close-up of Rio Rico Polychrome Interior

1Y Hohokam Rio Rico Polychrome bowl with an interesting interior design consisting of an upper band of alternating red and black solid triangles outlined in red dots, in the center of the band are interlocking scrolls made up of alternating red and black lines with small black bars or fringe painted across the single lines connecting the scrolls.  The center bottom is painted in an offset quartered design made up of checkerboards, vertical crosshatching and panels of barbed lines.  There is no exterior design.

Approximate Dimensions: 8 5/8" or 22cm by 4 1/4" or 11cm.

1Y Rio Rico Polychrome Bowl Exterior

2Y Rio Rico Polychrome Sherds:

Left sherd shows the interior of a bowl, no exterior design.

Right sherd shows the exterior of an olla.