Who Created the Mysterious Fremont Pottery in Montana?

Imagine discovering ancient pottery at an archaeological site and realizing it might have been created by a mysterious people. That's exactly what happened at the Valley of the Shields in Montana, where Fremont pottery dated around A.D. 1500 was found. The Fremont culture, originally from Colorado and Utah, had dispersed around A.D. 1350, so this pottery arrived in Montana much later. Researchers believe the Fremont spoke a Tanoan language and that when they dispersed, some groups moved east to join the Rio Grande Pueblos, while others, like the Kiowa, headed north towards Yellowstone National Park. But here's the kicker: artifacts found with the Montana Fremont pottery are made of the same material as those discovered beneath a panel of Castle Gardens-style rock art. This suggests that the Montana Fremont pottery might be the work of the proto-Kiowa, who could also have created the mysterious shield figures in the rock art.

Fremont pottery is a type of pre-Columbian pottery primarily found in Utah and northern Colorado. It is characterized by geometric designs and anthropomorphic figures. The dating of the pottery found at the Valley of the Shields was made possible by luminescence dating, which measures the energy stored in the minerals of the pottery. This technique is particularly useful for dating objects that do not contain organic materials. The Tanoan language is a family of languages spoken by various Native American groups, including the Rio Grande Pueblos and the Kiowa. The connection between Fremont pottery and Castle Gardens rock art is significant because it suggests a cultural link between the proto-Kiowa and this form of art. The shield figures in the rock art are particularly interesting because they might represent symbols of status or tribal identity.