Surlo
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Ardilla Incised and Excised
Variety: Ardilla
Phase: Acbi/Coner Transition, Early Coner, Late Coner
The majority of Ardilla vessels were large, shallow dishes with flaring walls and a flat base. The surface treatment is very distinctive for the Ardilla Incised and Excised. The exterior has been broadly incised/gouged with motifs after the material has dried and hardened. The motifs varied. There are hieroglyphs, pseudoglyphs, recti- and curvilinear elements, and interwoven bands. The interior was very well polished, but not decorated. The surface color ranged from a reddish brown to dark brown or grey.
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Madrugada Modeled-Carved
Variey: Madrugada
Phase: Acbi/Coner Transition, Early Coner, Late Coner
The majority of the Madrugada vessels found were tall and cylindrical. Other forms include open bowls, composite silhouette bowls and hemispherical bowls. Designs were carved on the exterior surface far enough down to allow a plain band along the rim. Designs were typically hieroglyphs. The interior surfaces were normally self-slipped or slipped with an orange-brown color, and polished.
Sesemil Incised
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Sesemil Incised
Variety: Facusse
Phase: Late Coner
The two Facusse forms found are cylindrical vessels and flaring-walled bowls. Just as the Sesemil Variety, finely incised motifs decorate the exterior surface. The variety of motifs include the curvi- and rectilinear elements, “x”‘s, crosshatched or zig-zagged lines, and animals. A red-slip was applied to the exterior and interior of the vessels. Both surfaces were smoothed and polished as well.
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Sesemil Incised
Variety: Sesemil
Phase: Late Coner
Sesemil took the form of cylinders and flaring-walled bowls with flat bases. Just as the Facusse Variety, the exterior surface would be finely incised with motifs of curvi- and rectilinear elements, “x”‘s, crosshatched or zig-zagged lines, and animals. The incisions are roughly implemented. The interior is well polished, while the exterior is simply smoothed.
Surlo Orange/Brown
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Surlo Orange/Brown
Variety: Blanco
Phase: Early Coner, Late Coner
Blanco Variety takes several different forms, the same as Simple Variety, including: outflaring- or outcurving-walled bowls with flat bases, composite silhouette bowls, (sub)hemispherical bowls, cylinders with vertical or slightly outcurving walls, small cups, and large shallow plates. The exterior surface has been treated with a white slip and smoothed. The interior has been well polished and has a reddish brown color.
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Surlo Orange/Brown
Variety: Simple
Phase: Acbi/Coner Transition, Early Coner, Late Coner
Simple Variety takes several different forms, the same a Blanco Variety, including: (sub)hemispherical bowls, cylinders with vertical or slightly outcurving walls, outflaring- or outcurving-walled bowls with flat bases, composite silhouette bowls, small cups, and large shallow plates. Slips range from orange to dark brown or black. The surfaces are plain and well polished, both interior and exterior.
Topsi Hematite Red
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Topsi Hematite Red
Variety: Copa
Phase: Acbi/Coner Transition, Early Coner
Copa primarily took the form of tall cylinders with vertical walls and a flat base, and shallow dishes with flaring walls and horizontally everted rims. A dark hematite red slip was applied to the exterior and interior surfaces. On occasion, the interior surface had an orange-red slip. After the slip, the surfaces would be well polished and the interior burnished.
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Topsi Hematite Red
Variety: Topsi
Phase: Early Coner
Forms found in the Topsi Varitey include: cylinder jar, shallow flaring-walled dish, flaring-walled bowl, and composite silhouette bowl. A broad, dark red-slipped band was applied below the lip and another above the basal break. An orange-brown slip was applied to the section in between the bands. In this space there would also be some sort of decoration. Methods include incising, incising and excising, dentate stamping, and vertical fluting. Hierogliphs and interwoven bands are found on a few found vessels. The entire surface area, except the decorated zone, has been polished.
Tradition: Polished Black/Brown Fine Ware
Group: Surlo
Type: Surlo Topsi