Mission Period Pottery

[JohnDee1]

I’m not sure if this is the correct forum to put this, but here I go regardless. A while ago I came upon a shell midden site in coastal southern Georgia/northern Florida. This wasn’t particularly unusual,but the ceramics I found gave me question. They looked to be late Mississippian/Irene period pottery but appeared with a much heavier grit temper and more rectangular stamping patterns This gave me some pause, and begin to consider the possibility that they might be a contact period wear called alramaha in Georgia and San Marcos in Florida which is typically associated with 17th century Guale and Yamasee mission groups. To make matters more confusing, I was also encountering grog/sherd tempered wares which are typically associated with Wilmington and st Catherine’s woodland pottery. While I had nothing to go on to claim the pottery was Spanish contact period besides stylistic similarity to altamaha/San Marcos pottery that smoking gone came when I found a sherd of a Spanish olive jar/storage jar in the midden. This find pretty much confirmed the presence of a contact period site, and lead me to reconsider my grog tempered shreds. Rather than woodland period wares l, I now assume they are San Pedro grog tempered sherds associated with early mission timicua groups. In short I believe this is a late 16th/early 17th century midden representing two historic period mission groups and material cultures. The lack of other Spanish artifacts besides the olive jar sherdis typically, as unless on a mission proper beads would be the only other artifact. Timucua groups begin to decline precipitously in the early 17th century and the missions population were often supplanted by guale/yamasee migrants. In 1650 the missions had mostly collapsed, but in the 1670s were accelerated into decline by the founding of Charleston and increased slave raids by English aligned groups. Other interesting sherds at the site include a red filmed sherd, and a piece of Lamar ceramic which probably represents a migrant from the interior to the missions. I have the Lamar sherd from the contact midden next to one I for from the interior for comparison.

 

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[traveller777]

Nice post. Thanks.

 

[PickTime]

Great informative post. Thanks

 

[newnan man]

Nice, you really know your pottery. I used to collect it a little but stopped. I found some pretty neat looking pieces but mostly just junk. Thanks for the info.

 

[Older The Better]

Like the insight, I have exactly 1 spot I’ve found pottery around here, it’s pretty exciting when a piece comes up. Keep sharing.

 

[Tdog]

Nice, you really know your pottery..

YES he does!

 

[Tnmountains]

Here are some patterns used for the stamping. Nice info...

 

[joshuaream]

Great post, I learned quite a bit!