192 



DAVF.Nl'OKT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



GULF PROVINCE. 



Our museums contain but few pieces of pottery from the lower 

 Mississippi, and in the Davenport Academy collection there are prob- 

 ably not more than a dozen typical examples of the leading groups 

 of ware of the Gulf States, Louisiana and Mississippi have fur-, 

 nished some very fine specimens of the pottery of the middle pro- 

 vince, more refined perhaps in form, material and finish than the 

 ware of Arkansas and Missouri, but still differing decidedly from 

 the typical pottery of Alabama and Georgia. Not wishing at pres- 

 ent to enter upon the detailed study of the latter class of ware, I 

 shall present only the few examples furnished by the Davenport 

 collection. The southern ware is characterized by refinement of 

 outline, color, finish and ornamentation, and is distinguished from 

 that of the middle Mississippi by its material, which is a fine-grained 

 paste, tempered with very fine silicious matter instead of pulverized 

 shells. 



The little cup given in Fig. 100 is from Mobile, Alabama. It is 

 pointed at opposite ends and was probably 

 modeled after or within some basket or fruit 

 shell, the impressions from which may be seen 

 Fig. 100.— Alabama.— ;^. on the surface. The paste contains no per- 

 ceptible degraissant. 



A favorite form is a bowl with full deep body and incurved lip. 



Fig. ioi. — \. 



A vessel of this class is illustrated in Fig. loi. The rim is but 

 slightly incurved, while the body is considerably constricted below 

 the greatest circumference. It is a unique and handsome speci- 



