Classic Mimbres phase

The Classic Mimbres phase refers to a period between AD 1000 and 1150 when the Mimbres people flourished. These people were part of the larger Mogollon culture and lived primarily along the Mimbres River in what is now southwestern New Mexico.1

During this time, the Mimbres inhabited villages of adobe and masonry, with each typically housing around 200 individuals. They practiced irrigation to cultivate crops like corn, beans, and squash, supplemented by hunting small game.1

The Mimbres are most renowned for their distinctive pottery, known as Mimbres ware. This pottery features imaginative black-on-white designs, often depicting insects, animals, birds, and geometric patterns. The characteristic vessel is a decorated bowl, with interiors adorned with recognizable human and animal forms, as well as fanciful depictions of fish and birds.12

Eventually, the Mimbres people, numbering around 5,000 at their peak, were integrated into the Pueblo peoples to the north, with some possibly migrating to Mexico.1