Jar

This seemingly simple jar tells a more complex story. The elegant form, monochrome orange slip, and thin, strong walls identify it as an (appropriately named) Thin Orange vessel. During the later part of the Early Classic period (200 - 600 CE), Thin Orange pottery was popular in Teotihuacan and other parts of Mesoamerica. Thin Orange vessels first appeared at Teotihuacan, the largest city in the Americas, around 150 - 250 CE, quickly becoming highly sought-after. There is evidence that a great fire occurred in the city center around 550 CE, and as the population and influence of the metropolis declined, so too did the popularity of Thin Orange pottery.

Compositional analyses have demonstrated that, despite their strong association with Teotihuacan, these vessels were not produced in the city. Instead, Thin Orange wares were made by potters in Tepexi de Rodríguez in southern Puebla (Rattray 1990). This area, located along a tributary of the River Carnero, produced a fine clay capable of constructing thin yet strong vessel walls. Elites at Teotihuacan exerted strong political and economic control over the production and distribution of these vessels. They also controlled the distribution of other luxury goods, like green obsidian from the Sierra de Pachuca volcanic range. Teotihuacan was a center for trade, attracting Maya, Zapotec, and other communities, who formed their own ethnic enclaves within the city. This expansive trade network facilitated the movement of Thin Orange bowls across Mesoamerica. Vessels were often produced in stackable forms to facilitate this long-distance exchange (see MMA 1978.412.45, 1983.497.14, 1994.35.54).

People used Thin Orange vessels for both domestic and ritual purposes. Some show signs of grinding on the interior, hinting at practical use as serving or drinking vessels. Others, such as dog-shaped pots and pots molded with complex iconography (see MMA1983.497.17), suggest a more intricate social function. People at Teotihuacan and other parts of Mesoamerica chose to be buried with Thin Orange vessels. The presence of these vessels in burials at faraway cities like Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala) and Copan (Honduras) is evidence of the widespread exchange network for Thin Orange pottery.

Caitlin Reddington Davis, Sylvan C. Coleman and Pam Coleman Memorial Fund Fellow, December 2025


Published References:

Kolb, Charles C. Thin Orange Pottery at Teotihuacan. Occasional Papers in Anthropology 8. University Park: Penn State University, 1973.

Gazzola, Julie. "La cerámica de Teotihuacán en fases tempranas, 100-200 d. C." Mexico City: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2024.

Rattray, Evelyn. "New Findings on the Origins of Thin Orange Ceramics." Ancient Mesoamerica,(2):181-195, 1990.

Robb, Matthew, et al. Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2017.

Seler, Eduard "Die Teotihuacan-Kultur des Hochlands von Mexico". Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur amerikanischen Sprach- und Alterthumskunde 5: 405-585, 1915.

Spence, Michael W. "Personal Art in Teotihuacan: Thin Orange Graffiti." Ancient Mesoamerica 26(2):295-311, 2015.