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Pottery is an amazing artifact. There are many types, all with different designs or no design at all. Designs come from the potter’s imagination or his beliefs. All have different tempers, some of grit or small pebbles, some of Spanish Moss that has burned away, leaving only a trace of its existence. Some types are tempered with sand and some with clay; others with what some would call no temper at all, only to discover that there are small, microscopic sponge spicules that hold it together.
Think about this. Pottery is a lot like people. Each one was fashioned by the Potter’s hand, each uniquely designed from the Potter’s heart. Some were designed for daily use while others were designed for special occasions and celebration. All were tempered, but all have a different temperament. How has the Potter designed you and tempered you? What was His special plan and purpose? We are clay in His hands. Many are like much of the pottery we find, broken and discarded by the world, but there is still hope. Like the pot sherds that were broken and cast aside, then recovered and rounded into gaming stones to become the center of joy in an Indian’s life, our broken lives can be renewed to become the center of joy in the Potter’s heart.
For more detailed information on these and other pottery types within the Southeastern United States, please see our “Publications” page to order Lloyd Schroder’s Field Guide to Southeastern Indian Pottery (Revised & Expanded).
This amazing new book contains over 500 pottery types, each explained in very readable terms with thousands of illustrations and maps of distribution. The volume has earned the acilades of senior archaeologists like David Anderson of the University of Tennessee and well-known Georgia archaeologist Jerald Ledbetter. No serious student of archaeology should be without it.
RESEARCH: Lake Jackson “B” was named and discussed by Frank & Gail Schnell & Vernon J. Knight in 1981. This type was formerly named Lake Jackson Plain by Gordon R. Willey. The research of Schnell and Knight was done at the Cemochechobee site in Clay County, Georgia. Willey’s research of this type focused on sites along the northwest and central Florida coast and the research of Sears was at the Tierra Verde site located south of Tampa Bay, Florida.
TEMPER: In Florida examples, Gordon Willey noted the use of sand or grit as temper for this type, but in Georgia and Alabama the use of grit seems to be predominant. Paste cores are usually gray; fired surfaces are often whitish buff, buff, or reddish buff.
SURFACE DECORATION: In this type the surfaces are plain and arches do not appear, however the vessel form and handle design fall within the range of the type.
VESSEL FORMS: Vessel types for this variant are also collared bowls, usually with strap handles.
CHRONOLOGY: This type is Fort Walton related and belongs to the Middle Mississippian period. Associated point types might include Pinellas and Ichetucknee points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: The distribution of this type includes the Lake Jackson area of Leon County, Florida to as far south along the west coast as the Tierra Verde site in Florida’s Manatee region in Manatee and Sarasota counties and as far north as the lower Chattahoochee River.
RESEARCH: David Hally defined this type in 1970. This name is rarely used and the type us usually classified as “unidentified complicated stamped.” Hally did his research at the Potts Tract site in Murray County, Georgia. Mark Williams noted that, although this type was defined in northwestern Georgia, it is known to occur all across the state.
TEMPER: This pottery has a grit-tempered paste.
SURFACE DECORATION: The surface of this type is roughened by extreme over-stamping with a complicated stamp, but is considered a plain type. The over stamping is so extreme that individual stamp designs are not recognizable.
VESSEL FORMS: The connection of this type to the Lamar series is its vessel form and the context of its recovery. Vessel forms are jars that are slightly constricted below the orifice, but with out-flaring rims. The bases are rounded. The vessel rim folds are the distinctive feature of most Lamar pottery. Rims are folded or an appliqué strip is added and pinched.
CHRONOLOGY: Lamar stamped pottery dates to the Late Mississippian, Lamar period in Georgia, but Lamar and is contemporary with Fort Walton pottery. Along the coast of Georgia, Lamar (Irene) stamped pottery continued longer. Florida Gulf coast occurrences are in the Safety Harbor periods.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Lamar Complicated Stamped is found throughout most of Georgia and into adjacent Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Similar types are seen in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. In Florida it occurs as far south as Tampa Bay, but these occurrences may be only the result of trade. Eastern extensions in Florida are not well known but probably occurs there only as trade if at all.
RESEARCH: This type had never been formally defined, even though it makes up a large part of any Lamar site. Caldwell discussed, but never formally described it and Robert Wauchope reportedly used the name Lamar Plain Smoothed which might be the same, but it remained unnamed until Brent Wiseman defined it in 1992. Wiseman’s research was done at the Fig Springs Mission site in Columbia County, Florida.
TEMPER: The distinguishing trait of this type was the coarse grit particles used as temper in its paste and its smooth exterior surface as well as the decorated rims common to this type.
SURFACE DECORATION: This is smooth and well made plain pottery. Rim fragments make the plain sherds easier to identify as rims have an appliqué strip that is pinched or punctated with reed.
VESSEL FORMS: Vessels are jar forms that are slightly constricted below the orifice. Bases are rounded. Rims are folded or an appliqué strip is added and pinched or crimped.
CHRONOLOGY: Lamar pottery dates to the Late Mississippian, Lamar period in Georgia, but Lamar is contemporary with Fort Walton pottery. Along the coast of Georgia, Lamar (Irene) stamped pottery continued longer. Florida Gulf coast occurrences are in the Safety Harbor periods. Associated point types might include Mississippian Triangular (Pinellas in Florida), Ichetucknee and Guntersville points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Lamar Complicated Stamped is found throughout most of Georgia and into adjacent Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Similar types are seen in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. In Florida it occurs as far south as Tampa Bay, but these occurrences may be only the result of trade. Eastern extensions in Florida are not well known but probably also occurs there only as trade if at all.
RESEARCH: Robert Wauchope used this name in 1966 to describe Lamar Plain pottery. The type was named for the Lamar site in Bibb County, Georgia. Wauchope’s research took place in northern Georgia.
TEMPER: This pottery is tempered with coarse grit particles.
SURFACE DECORATION: This type has a plain surface, but the surface has also been burnished and often retains its gloss.
VESSEL FORMS: Vessels are jar forms that are slightly constricted below the orifice. Bases are rounded. Rims are folded or an appliqué strip is added and pinched or crimped.
CHRONOLOGY: Lamar pottery dates to the Late Mississippian, Lamar period in Georgia, but Lamar is contemporary with Fort Walton pottery. Along the coast of Georgia, Lamar (Irene) stamped pottery continued longer. Florida Gulf coast occurrences are in the Safety Harbor periods. Associated point types might include Mississippian Triangular (Pinellas in Florida), Ichetucknee and Guntersville points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Lamar Complicated Stamped is found throughout most of Georgia and into adjacent Alabama, Florida and South Carolina. Similar types are seen in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. In Florida it occurs as far south as Tampa Bay, but these occurrences may be only the result of trade. Eastern extensions in Florida are not well known but probably also occurs there only as trade if at all.
RESEARCH: H.G. Smith named this type in 1948 and Gordon Willey discussed it in 1949.[i] Research on this type was done in Jefferson County, Florida.
TEMPER: This is a sand and grit-tempered ware with a compacted paste and a hard surface.
SURFACE DECORATION: This pottery has a plain, undecorated surface.
VESSEL FORMS: Vessel forms are similar to those of the Ocmulgee Fields complex of Georgia. The most common shape is a shallow bowl with an in-curved, straight, or flaring rim. The lip is flat or rounded and a rounded, flat or annular base. Other forms are the plate, bottle, casuela bowl, lugged shallow bowl, and European-influenced pitcher shape.
CHRONOLOGY: This type belongs to the Historic period dating from the Leon-Jefferson period. Associated point types include Pinellas and Ichetucknee points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: The type is known from Leon and Jefferson counties, Florida.
[i] Gordon R., Archaeology of the Florida Gulf Coast, Bureau of American Ethnology Smithsonian Institution, 1949, p.491
RESEARCH: This type was identified by Jesse Jennings and Charles Fairbanks in 1940 as one of the Macon Plateau plain pottery types. The type is named for the McDougal Mound at the Macon Plateau site.
TEMPER: This type had large amounts of crushed shell as tempering. Sand or grit was used occasionally, but never mixed with shell. The core is red or chocolate, but rarely tan or black. The exterior surface was slightly darker than the core and fire smudging was rare.
SURFACE DECORATION: The surfaces of these vessels were plain. The sherds usually have shell leaching out of them and leave the surface pitted. The surface is poorly smoothed except for about 10cm below the rim where it was nicely smoothed.
VESSEL FORM: The known vessel form is a large circular basin. The rims are straight, sometimes thickened below the rim. The lips are flat or occasionally rounded and only rarely grooved.
CHRONOLOGY: This pottery is from the Early Mississippian, Macon Plateau period. Associated points include Mississippi Triangular and Guntersville points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: This type is generally found within 10 miles from the Macon Plateau site, although Griffin reported similar types in the Norris Basin in Tennessee.
RESEARCH: Nunnally pottery was named and defined by Frank & Gail Schnell and Vernon J. Knight in 1981.[i] The research of Schnell and Knight was done at the Cemochechobee site in Clay County, Georgia.
TEMPER: Fine sand was used as temper for this type. The external surface of the paste has a distinctive gray-black color.
SURFACE DECORATION: As the name implies, the surface of this type is plain and undecorated.
VESSEL FORMS: The only known form for this type is a water bottle with a tall neck.
CHRONOLOGY: This type belongs to the Middle Mississippian period. Associated point types include Mississippian Triangular and Guntersville points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Nunnally pottery is known along the lower Chattahoochee River valley in Georgia and perhaps Alabama, but appears to be limited to this small area.
[i] Schnell, Frank T., Vernon J. Knight, Jr., and Gail S. Schnell, Cemochechobee Archaeology of a Mississippian ceremonial Center on the Chattahoochee River, University Presses of Florida, Gainesville 1981, p.188-189
RESEARCH: This type was named by Charles Fairbanks in 1955. The name refers to plain pottery associated with the other Ocmulgee Fields types.
TEMPER: This type is tempered with grit. Mark Williams suggested that it might also be tempered with shell. The exterior color of the paste is generally buff and the core is dark gray.
SURFACE DECORATION: This is a plain pottery that is sometimes burnished.
VESSEL FORMS: Vessel forms are usually casuela or deep bowls. Globular jars with flaring rims are known.
CHRONOLOGY: This is a Historic period pottery dating to the late 17th to early 18th centuries A.D. Associated point types include the Kaskaskia point.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: This type is found with Ocmulgee Fields Incised pottery in central Alabama, central and north-central Georgia and north-central Florida.
RESEARCH: James B. Griffin named this type in 1945. James Griffin’s research of fiber-tempered pottery in the St. Johns region was followed by John M. Goggin within the same region by 1952.
TEMPER: Orange pottery was tempered with plant fiber, possibly Spanish moss, which on firing burnt out leaving a characteristic honeycomb appearance. Later forms of the ware often have quartz sand added as temper, and some examples tend toward the chalky ware St. John’s series in texture.
SURFACE DECORATION: The surface is often well smooth, but normally has a vermicular appearance due to fiber strand holes. The interior sometimes exhibits pronounced tooling marks.
VESSEL FORMS: the rim is usually simple and straight sided with a rounded or slightly flat lip. Lugs are rarely found on the rim, but when present, are an outward rounded extension of the lip. The base is normally flat and unmarked but a few sherds show impressions of twined and plated textiles.
CHRONOLOGY: Orange Plain pottery belongs to the Late Archaic period, dating to about 4500 RCYBP. Related points are Savannah River, Culbreath, Clay, and Santa Fe points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: This pottery is most often found in sites on the St. Johns River above Palatka, Florida, but may occur sporadically on the coast.
RESEARCH: Tom Lewis and Madeline Kneberg named this type for the historic Overhill Cherokee people of eastern Tennessee in 1946.
TEMPER: Coarsely crushed shell or occasionally coarse grit-temper was used in this pottery.
SURFACE DECORATION: This surface is plain and fairly smooth with an added appliqué strip that is notched just below the rim.
VESSEL FORMS: Known vessel forms are jars and shallow bowls similar to salt pans. Rims are vertical on jar forms.
CHRONOLOGY: The shell-tempered pottery is middle 18th century Cherokee pottery. The grit temper is thought to be an earlier form as well as contemporaneous with the shell-tempered form. Related points include Kaskaskia points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: The majority of this type of pottery is found in along the Little Tennessee and upper Hiwassee rivers of eastern Tennessee. It may also found in extreme northern Georgia.
RESEARCH: Antonio Waring named and defined this type in 1967. The type was named for the Refuge site located on the Savannah River that was excavated by Waring.
TEMPER: This type is tempered with sand or grit.
SURFACE DECORATION: The vessel surface is plain and void of any decoration.
VESSEL FORMS: Rims are straight or are occasionally slightly flared. Lips may be squared or rounded. They are often tilted outward, giving a beveling effect to the outer edge. Vessel forms are conoidal jars or hemispherical bowls. Bases are conoidal or rounded, or squared if tetropodal supports are present.
CHRONOLOGY: This type dates to the Early Woodland, Refuge III period. Related point types include Yadkin, Greenville, Swan Lake and Swannanoa points.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Refuge pottery is found along the Lower Savannah River and upper Georgia Coast and extends along the coastal plain of South Carolina and into the southeastern coastal sites of North Carolina as mapped by Joseph M. Herbert (2009).
