Pilling Figurines

The Pilling Figurines are a set of eleven clay figurines made by the Fremont culture. They were discovered in 1950 by Clarence Pilling, a Utah rancher, under a rock overhang in a side canyon of Range Creek, Utah. The figurines are believed to be around 1000 years old.

The Pilling Figurines are all around 4 to 6 inches (roughly 10 to 15 cm) in height. They are constructed of unbaked clay and are decorated with applied clay ornaments. The figurines also show evidence of red, buff, and black paint. These markings and colors have offered insight and revealed how ancient Fremont people dressed and adorned themselves. Each one is distinctive in both appearance and gender. The female figurines have breasts, wider hips, and wear aprons while the male figurines wear loincloths (except for one which has a kilt of sorts). They appear to have been made in matching male and female pairs leaving an unmatched female figurine. They are considered to be among the most important pieces of ancient portable art that have been discovered in the Southwest. All eleven figurines, can now be viewed at the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum