HOLMES] POPES CREEK I'OTTERY 153 



reall}' uiiin-iiuaiutcd with alxjrigiiial iiicthod.s. It will he .seen by refer- 

 ence to the illuistrsitioiiN pre^iented in this and the preocdinu- section 

 that this pottery corresponds somewhat closely in yen(>ral appearance 

 with that of the C^herokees and Catawbas. 



In 1801 these Indians were visited liy Mi- John (». Pollard, from 

 whom tlie followino- paragraphs are quoteil: 



MrTerrill Bradby, one of the best informed members of the tribe, furnished, in 

 substance, the following account of the jirocesses followed and the materials used in 

 the manufacture of this pottery; 



"In former times, the opening nf a clay mine was a great feast day with the 

 Pamunkey. The whole tribe, men. women, and children, were present, and each 

 family took home a share of the clay. The first steps in preparing the clay are to 

 dry it, beat it up, pass it through a sieve, and pound it in a mortar. Fresh-watei- 

 mussels, flesh as well as shell, having been burnt and ground uj), are mixed with the 

 clay prepared as above, and the two are then saturated with water and kneaded 

 together. This substance is then shapeil with a mussel shell to the form of the arti- 

 cle desired, placed in the sun and dried, then scraped with a mussel shell, and rub- 

 bed with a stone for the purpose of produeing a gloss. The dishes, bowls, jars, etc., 

 as the case may be, are then placed in a circle and tempered with a slow tire; then 

 plaee<l in the kiln and covered with dry pine bark, and burnt until the smoke comes 

 out in a clear volume. This is taken as an indication that the ware has l)een burnt 

 sufficiently. It is then taken out and is ready for use."" 



SHKLL-IIEAP WAKK OK POPES (KEEK 



The heavy, rude, net-marked or coarsely cord-roulette(l pottery so 

 common in this province has been found most plentifully at Popes 

 creek on the I'otomac, for the reason, no doubt, that the removal of 

 the shells at this place for fertilizing;- purposes has exposed the pottery 

 more fully than elsewhere. Typically developed, it is a coarse, heavy 

 ware, ha\ino- a narrow i-ange of form, size, and finish. The paste is 

 highly silicious, and is tempered very generally with quartz sand, 

 some grains or bits of which are \erj- coarse. The color is mostly 

 somewhat ferruginous, especially on the surface, the interior of the 

 mass being grayer and dai-ker. The shapes are simple, and apparently 

 without variations for esthetic effect. The ve.ssels are deep liowls, 

 wide-mouthed pots, or caldrons with conic bases, and are identical in 

 nearly every respect with the midden vessels of Wilkes county. North 

 Carolina, of which sherds are shown in plates cxxxi and cxxxii. 



The walls rarely show constriction at the neck, and descend with 

 slight even curves, at angles of from 'M to 5l> degrees to the base, as 

 Is indicated in plate cxxxvii. The thickness varies from less than 

 one-fourth of an inch to 1 inch, the greatest thickness being at the 

 conic base. The diameter of the largest pieces was 20 inches or more, 

 the depth averaging considerably less than this. The surfaces are 



"Pollard, John Garland. The ramiinkey Indians nf Virginia. Bulletin of thu Bureau tjf Ethnology. 

 Wnshinglon. 1S9J, p. is. 



