When Margarita Castro at Santa Catarina BC Mexico taught paddle and anvil pottery making she ground the dry clay along with potsherd temper on a metate–She called the powder “masa” or corn meal–We patted the wet clay into a flat disk which she called a tortilla–We built up the sides of the pot using coils that we rolled out–She called those “chorizo” or sausage–We paddled the coils against an anvil held inside the pot which resembled a mushroom–She called that an “hongo” or mushroom–The photo here is of Josefina Ochurte grinding the dry clay on a metate
RICHARD PETTINGER HELLER 