Largest shard I've found so far ('cause I'm still kickin' lol).

[PetesPockets55]

Went to a local riverbank and had moderate success detecting, but I really enjoyed pulling this off my shovel. I'm just glad my shovel was parallel the sand going under the tree roots, so I didn't break it.

Thanks for taking a peek.

I also found this little beauty.


And this, with the crossed lines on the "inside" of the piece.
Seems odd to me since all the others I've come across are on the "exterior" side of the shard (based on the curvature of the pieces)

 

[newnan man]

That's very old for pottery too. Nice find. Fresh water or the Indian River?

 

[CreekSide]

Nice piece.

 

[PetesPockets55]

That's very old for pottery too. Nice find. Fresh water or the Indian River?

Thanks. It was the Indian River.

I've had one person in the know suggest it may be 1200 - 800 years old.
I don't know for sure.

I like the deep texture to the surface. The texture really shows the results of that firing technique on this pottery well.

 

[Older The Better]

I like them, pottery is very rare in the place I look

 

[gettothepoints]

Wow, love that texture. What history!

 

[PetesPockets55]

Thanks everyone.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Here in IL the oldest pottery was the thickest. They figured out of to make it much thinner later.

 

[newnan man]

Here in IL the oldest pottery was the thickest. They figured out of to make it much thinner later.

That's why I said it looked old. Same here in Florida. The older pottery is always thick. The NA's refined their technique as the years went by & the pottery walls got thinner.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Here in IL the oldest pottery was the thickest. They figured out of to make it much thinner later.

That's why I said it looked old. Same Gere in Florida. The older pottery is always thick. The NA's refined their technique as the years went by & the pottery walls got thinner.

Thanks guys.

That's what's going through my head as well. The thicker and more "rustic" it is, the older it is.

I think there is even some further age difference when comparing the size of the checked pattern on the piece. I can't seem to recall if the wider spacing with the checked pattern, like this one, is older than the ones with the finer or closer checked pattern.

 

[dognose]

Very nice pottery shards, the holed shard is interesting, similar to one I have.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Very nice pottery shards, the holed shard is interesting, similar to one I have.

Thanks.
The "holed" ones are fun to find. Lately, they have been about every third trip out. I also come across some where the hole is noticeable but the shard has broken along that point, so it's not a full hole.

 

[CreekSide]

Thanks.
The "holed" ones are fun to find. Lately, they have been about every third trip out. I also come across some where the hole is noticeable but the shard has broken along that point, so it's not a full hole.

Most think those are repair holes to prevent the pots from cracking further. You would think they would repair the cracks with fresh mud or slip instead of drilling a hole and tying it with cordage

 

[PetesPockets55]

Most think those are repair holes to prevent the pots from cracking further. You would think they would repair the cracks with fresh mud or slip instead of drilling a hole and tying it with cordage

When I first started finding them my thought was that they were holes in the pots, possibly for hanging. But something about that didn't sit right because as thin as the pottery was it seemed like it wouldn't hold up to any weight in the bowls.

Your explanation about using cordage seems feasible, where the cordage comes through the hole down to the bottom of the bowl and then the cordage formed a net under the bowl to support the weight.

I've since learned that the holes were most probably used to repurpose the pieces after the bowls broke. Possibly for "weights" on nets, decorations, "jewelry", adornment on clothing, etc.

This makes sense.

Another thing I like about this one is how "crisp" the rim is. I like seeing the rims on the shards. I like to imagine the way the person formed the rim when they made piece. It takes me into their world.

 

[Bamasteve]

Very nice find, congrats!

 

[Rockdog]

That's a cool piece. Never find any pottery around here. Good for you.

 

[PetesPockets55]

That's a cool piece. Never find any pottery around here. Good for you.

Is that because they only used baskets made of organic material?
Or have you just never come across any?

 

[Rockdog]

Is that because they only used baskets made of organic material?
Or have you just never come across any?

I'm sure it's just because I have never come across any. They are probably out there but I don't do any digging or anything like that. I am strictly a surface hunter.