ea baa ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA 307 
Texture: Coarse, sandy and poorly kneaded so that temper particles are 
not evenly distributed. Pinpoint to fissure air pockets are characteristic, 
especially in thicker walled sherds. Ropy or laminated structure is also 
characteristic of thicker walls. 
Color: Reddish orange, orange, tan, reddish brown or brown through the 
cross section. Occasionally, a. laminated: orange and tan. Gray areas 
are sometimes present adjacent to the surfaces, but never in the center 
of the core. This absence of a gray core is the distinguishing character- 
istic of Kanuku Plain, by which it is differentiated from Rupununi Plain. 
Firing: Oxidized so that surface and core are some shade of orange. Oc- 
casional fire clouds appear on the surface. 
SURFACE: 
Color: Shades of orange, red and brown predominate, with gray areas very 
rare and mostly produced by fire clouding. Color range is from a light 
tan or tile orange to reddish brown and brown. A single vessel will show 
some color variation, but usually this is not over the entire color range 
associated with the type. 
Treatment: Ineomplete smoothing or smocthing when surfaces were too 
dry leaves them characteristically uneven, irregular, and gritty. On the 
lower exterior of jars or necks of jars, coil lines may not be completely 
obliterated (pl. 63, g, h). Where smoothing has been more complete, 
broad smoothing tracks can often be distinguished. Crackle lines some- 
times radiate from exposed temper grains. Even the best smoothed sur- 
faces are typically somewhat undulating and uneven. Smaller vessels 
generally have the better surface finish. 
Hardness: 3.5-4. 
FORM: 
Rim: Direct, everted, or slightly thickened on the exterior, with rounded 
or flattened lip. 
Body wall thickness: 4-12 mm. ; griddles 18-25 mm. 
Body diameter: 14-60 cm. ; majority 34-52 cm. 
Base: 
A. Flat, joining sidewalls at angle of 25-55 degrees; interior wall makes 
more gradual curve resulting in slightly increased wall thickness 
at junction. Diameter 9-24 cm. 
B. Slight pedestal formed by almost vertical rise of 1.0-1.5 cm. below 
junction with sidewalls. Diameter 12-18 cm. 
C.. Rounded, unthickened. No demarcation at which to measure di- 
ameter. “ 
Vessel shapes: The major difference between eating and deinking vessels 
on the one hand, and cooking and storage vessels on the other, lies in 
size. The four most common forms all have a range from “bowl” to 
“jar” dimensions, with slight variations in proportions: but no distin- 
guishing rim differences. Hence, although complete vessels can be identi- 
fied as one of the variant forms for a yessel shape, this cannot be done 
with sherds. 
' 1. Shallow to deep bowls with outsloping to almost vertical walls, 
/ direct rim, flattened or rounded lip. Rim diameter 14-64 cm.; 
majority 26-50 cm. (fig. 122-1). Sometimes lobes with rounded, 
scalloped edges or with deep notches extend outward along the 
Trim. They measure 46 em. long and 2.0-3.5 em. wide (pl. 63, 
a—d). 
