ANCIENT POTTERY OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 1 29 



obtained from the neighboring rivers. Powdered potsherds may 

 also have been added. The clay has, apparently, often been impure 

 or loamy. It was probably, at times, obtained from the alluvial de- 

 posits of the bayous — the sediment of overflows — as was the potter's 

 clay of the Nile. The finer processes of powdering and levigation 

 were certainly not known. A slip or wash of very finely conimi- 

 nated clay is sometimes applied to the surface of the vessel. The 

 walls of the vessels are often thick and uneven, and are always 

 quite porous, a feature of no little importance in the storage 

 of drinking water, but one resulting from accident rather than de- 

 sign. 



Color. — The paste of this ware presents two marked varieties of 

 color, a dark and a light hue. In a majority of cases it is dark, 

 ranging from a rich black to all shades of brown and gray. The 

 lighter tints are usually warm ochrey grays, rarely approaching red- 

 dish or terra-cotta hues. It is highly probable that the differences 

 of color were, to some extent, intentionally produced, and that the 

 material or methods of firing were regulated in a way to produce 

 one tint or another at pleasure. This theory is confirmed by the 

 fact that certain forms of vases are pretty generally dark, while cer- 

 tain other forms are as uniformly light — the latter in nearly all cases 

 being used for the application of color, or of designs in color. 



Form. — This ware exhibits a great variety of forms, many of 

 which are extremely pleasing. In this respect it is far superior to 

 the other prehistoric groups of the eastern United States. The 

 shapes are as varied and elegant as those of the ancient Pueblo pot- 

 tery, but are inferior to those of Mexico, Central America, and Peru. 



As I classify by form farther on, and discuss the origin of form as 

 each form-group is presented, I shall not make further reference to 

 this topic here. 



Finish. — The finish, as compared with the work of civilized 

 nations, is rude. The surface is often simply hand or trowel 

 smoothed. Generally, however, it has been more or less carefully 

 polished by rubbing with a suitable implement of stone, shell, or 

 bone. Nothing resembling a glaze has been found on pieces known 

 to be old. The surface has sometimes been washed or coated with 

 a slip or film of fine clay, which facilitated the polishing, and in very 

 many cases a coat of thick red paint has been applied. 



Ornamentation. — The ancient potter of this province has taken 

 especial delight in the embellishment of his wares, and the devices 



