NO. 13 ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS IN FLORIDA — FEWKES I5 



sometimes tempered. Superficially it exhibits no evidences of painted 

 decorations or symbols, although some shards are banded with red 

 and dark brown colors. It often has a fine gloss, not glazed. 



In the large number and variety of form of the vessels of burnt 

 clay it is not strange that the uses of several types cannot be deter- 

 mined definitely. We miss certain forms, as ladles, cups, handled 

 amphoras and efifigy jars, but to offset these there are several varie- 

 ties peculiar to Florida. Among the latter may be mentioned the 

 cylindrical form with beautiful sii])erficial decorations (p\. 11), 

 square boxlike medicine bowls and thin pottery objects like frustra 

 of cones open at base and apex (pi. 12, E, F, G) . 



Certain smaller hollow globular bowls made of clay and perforated 

 on one side, resembling bowls of pipes, were probably used for 

 smoking, but the globular clay pipe, although not foreign to Florida, 

 is not found in the collection from Weeden Island.' 



HUMAN HEADS MADE OF BURNT CLAY 



Representations of four human heads of clay in low relief are 

 found on shards. Two of these heads (pi. lo, E, F) are as well made 

 as any taken from Florida mounds and were attached to the rims of 

 bowls, facing outward. They were in relief and the bodies, legs and 

 arms of the human being were not represented. The surface of the 

 bowl was decorated with geometric figures. They were probably 

 duplicated on the diametrically opposite rim of the bowl. 



The human heads in relief are among the best-made prehistoric 

 ceramic decorations of pottery and are not common in the collections 

 made in South Florida.' No effigy bowls occur in the collection from 

 Weeden Island. The bowls and vases of the upper layer were nearly 

 all " killed," a hole being broken in the bottom of about every vessel. 

 The edges of this perforation were sometimes smoothed over after 

 the fracture. No specimens were found that had been manufactured 

 and artificially punctured for mortuary purposes before they were 

 fired. The object of the " killing " of a vessel was, of course, to let 

 out the spirit of the vessel when buried with the dead.'' Commonly 



* There were two clay pipes badly broken and one almost entire in the 

 collection. 



^Clarence B. Moore (Notes on Ten Thousand Islands) figures (p. 463) 

 a human head effigy from Chokoloskee Key. In the Index he refers to 

 " human head-effigies on rim of vessel " collected at Aloundsvillo, but makes 

 no reference to it in text. 



* Mr. Clarence B. Moore has called attention to this feature on Florida 

 pottery in several articles. 



