272 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 182 



FIELDS ISLAND COMPONENT 

 (44Mc23) 



At the foot of Fields Island is an extensive village site over which 

 the Eoanoke River is depositing considerable talus. Potsherds, flakes 

 and chips of chert, chalcedony, jasper, quartz, and quartzite, as well 

 as a few projectile forms were found scattered over the head of this 

 talus deposit. 



A series of test pits were put down in the area. From these we 

 learned that the aboriginal deposit was rather extensive but thin. 

 We were able to collect 1,113 potsherds from our test pits and a random 

 collection from the surface of the site. These sherds represent all of 

 the pottery types that were manufactured and utilized by the 

 aboriginal mhabitants. 



From a study of a topographic map made of the island by the 

 United States Engineers, it was noted that the foot of the island is 

 much higher than the rest of the island. This feature affords some 

 protection from the periodic floods which occur on the Roanoke River. 

 In times past the Roanoke River, in flood, had scoured almost bare 

 the head of the island, where site 44]Mc21 is located, and lately has 

 eradicated all traces of this site. It was after one of these floods that 

 Mr. William Maxey, of Richmond, Va., retrieved a number of whole 

 vessels, some projectile points, remains of iron scissors and candle 

 snuffers, as well as fragments of white clay pipestems and bowls. 



We were unable to find any complete vessels while investigating the 

 site at the foot of the island but we did manage to gather sufficient 

 potsherds to enable us to determine accurately information regarding 

 vessel shape and size. 



From an examination of the paste, we were able to distinguish two 

 traditions: the first and earliest is a paste composed of a very fine 

 sand temper, very homogeneous, and fired to an even buff color in an 

 oxidizing atmosphere. It is rather hard and when rapped has a cer- 

 tain ring to it. The second tradition is represented by a much coarser 

 paste in which the aplastic is a much larger grain of sand with an 

 occasional particle of grit or gravel. All these factors tend to create 

 a contorted paste. Vessels made from this typo of paste were fired 

 under oxido-reducing atmospheric conditions resulting in black, 

 gray, or off-buft' colored vessels. 



Vessels fired under oxidizing atmospheric conditions and oxido- 

 reducing atmospheric conditions have certain "feels" about them. The 

 former has a rather smooth feel, while the latter is rather raspy or 

 gritty. 



Here, we found a number of disks made from potsherds. They are 

 either round, or roughly so, and undrilled. Similar ones were noted 

 from site 44Mcl4, Clarksville site, which is opposite Occaneechi Island 

 and on the east bank of the Roanoke River. 



