Wondering about these here pieces...

mile-ender · Sep 27, 2011

So I tried posting this in the Native American section but the submission took too long and it timed out. Now it says I've already posted this, but it won't show up in my posts or on the actual thread :icon_scratch:

. So... I'm gonna try posting here

I was down by the river the other day and I was lucky enough to spot these two pieces (1st pic). They were probably about 20ft from one another, bowl facing down in the mud. They measure a little over 2" across the top and just under an inch in height.
The second item (the stone) was found much further. I usually don't bother with stone. Unless it's recognizably worked I really wouldn't be able to tell if it's significant or not. The hole in this one though caught my eye. It weighs about 1.2 lbs. The hole is a little under an inch across the top(?) and a half inch on the bottom(?). The whole thing is about 6 inches end to end, 2 inches at the wider end an inch at the smaller end, and about 2 inches high.
When I was there last year I had found this little vase(?). I hadn't thought very much of it (after all I do pick up all sorts of things riverside), and thought perhaps it was the work of some kid for his art class. After finding the small cup thingies though, I'm having second thought and thinking maybe it is something...
And finally the last pic are beads I've found along this stretch of river, so I know the potential is there :wink:

Thanks for all your help and insight :icon_thumleft:

stefen · Sep 28, 2011

Cannot offer any information on the vase or pots except they were made on a potters wheel as opposed to being made from coils, which is typical of most Native American vessels.

You must agree that the pottery wheel process is quite evident to the naked eye. Simply evident by the circular lines...

Being that the potters wheel was not used by Native Americans until modern times, the pots and vase therefore are contemporary.

The following (http://www.cla.purdue.edu/waaw/peterson/petersonessay2.html) supports my comments.

That's not to say that these were not made by Native Americans, and yet, a local craft class could have produced these as well.

It does appear that there is a base grey clay with an overlaid color coat which [looks like paint and not a slip].

One would wonder if they were used for ceremonial purposes according to how they were found in the river mud.