pip. n"o^' 2^5T' JOHN H. KERR RESERVOIR BASIN — MILLER 307 



The introduction of the art of pottery making in the John H. Kerr 

 Reservoir basin in the late Archaic brought about practically no 

 change, or very little change, in the existing cultural pattern. This 

 trait was simply added to the then existing cultural pattern which 

 continued to develop in its accustomed way — the Indians manufac- 

 tured their typical stone artifacts, retained their hunting-food-gather- 

 ing economy, continued to be nomadic to a certain extent, and con- 

 tinued to retain their vegetal, stone, and hide containers. The intro- 

 duction of ceramics curtailed somewhat their roving habits, as these 

 friable objects could not be easily transported without danger of 

 breakage. Whether ceramics was the compelling force which brought 

 into being the cultivation or pseudocultivation of the natural seed 

 plants is not known, but it could easily have been the case. As they 

 became more proficient in the use of clay and the practice of agricul- 

 ture, this Archaic culture probably started the subdivision of labors 

 depending upon the skill of the individual. 



These first vessels, olla or jar shapes with wide-mouthed bowls, are 

 characterized as having conoidal or subconoidal bases, slightly ex- 

 panded, rounded or elliptical bodies surmounted with slightly con- 

 stricted necks upon which rested straight, slightly flared, or expanded 

 rims terminating in simple lips. This vessel shape became the "trade 

 mark" of the Woodland Peoples, as they are now called. 



Whether these Woodland Peoples represented an absolutely new 

 influx into the area has never been determined satisfactorily. It is 

 true that we have the beginnings of a new physical type, a change- 

 over from a long-headed form to a more rounded type, but a com- 

 parable change has been noted to have begun during the Archaic 

 before the actual introduction of pottery making and a new physical 

 type. Noone (1934) has satisfactorily determined the locus of pot- 

 tery making in the Americas. Theories and implications have been 

 ofllered but concrete evidence is lacking. With the appearance of 

 pottery making at a definite ( ?) time, which is a variable factor for 

 different areas, this art spread throughout the New World. Ceramics 

 were probably introduced into this section of Virginia around 1500 

 to 1000 B.C. (a guess date which is not based upon any concrete meth- 

 od of dating) from the northeast by diffusion of ideas or actual con- 

 tact with a group of people who developed into what has later been 

 called the general Algonquian stock. 



Pottery, having such long-lasting qualities— both whole and frag- 

 mentary — served not only as the chief criterion of culture but also 

 as a cultural indicator of changes within the overall subsequent cul- 

 tural patterns. This was true up to the advent of white man and his 

 trade goods. Trade goods soon arrogated the native article and in 

 some areas the art was completely lost with time. 



