It is interesting to note that every Acoma pot has an old pot incorporated in it. The potters take old pot shards and grind them up to use as temper for a new pot. When you buy an Acoma pot—you're buying a piece of history.
Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continually inhabited community in the United States and consists of several villages but the best known is the one referred to as “Sky City.” It sits atop a 357-foot mesa that was inaccessible to enemy raids for centuries because there was only one way up and that was a heavily guarded narrow stairway where one had to use handholds to ascend (an effective defense). Today, there is a paved road to the top. That is the only modern day convenience, however, as there is no running water, electricity, or telephone lines. A little more than 50 people live up on top of the mesa year round, the remainder of the people living in the farming villages below. Acoma Pueblo artists are known for their intricate fine black-line rain pots. Their Feast day is September 2nd honoring their patron saint, St. Stephen.
