Pottery Mound

Pottery Mound (LA 416) was a late prehistoric village on the bank of the Rio Puerco, west of Los Lunas, New Mexico.

Frank Hibben, a professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM) directed archaeological field schools at the site in 1954 (Ballagh and Phillips 2006), 1955, 1957, and 1958.

He also directed a research project funded by the National Science Foundation in 1960–1961 and afterwards led "salvage" digs conducted by volunteers, as late as the 1980s.

The "salvage" digs were highly disturbing to the cultural site, leading to complete destruction of historic Pueblo kivas and pottery.

The poor planning, excavating, and over-"archeological"[clarification needed] study has proven to be far more destructive to the sites long-term health and has led to much scrutiny within the Pueblo community.

Pottery mound mural, unmarried girls. Kiva 16, Layer 1, East Wall. Reconstruction by Frank Hibben .
Pottery Mound Polychrome sherd