154 ABORIGINAL POTTERY OF EASTERN TTNITED STATES [eth.ann.20 



uneven and rouohly finished, but have received a largi^ share of a rude 

 kind of decorative texturing-. The exterior surface has usually I'cceived 

 the imprint of an open-mesh net, applied l)y repeated paddling- (plate 

 cxxxviii), and the interior has been scarified with a comb, or a serrate- 

 edged tool, the teeth of which, occurring- about ten or tw(^lve to the 

 inch, were blunt and not very even. The original and principal 

 function of this scarifying tool was no doubt that of modeling, but 

 in cases it was drawn back and forth in such a manner as to produce 

 simple, irregidar, patterned effects, illustrated in plat(> cxxxix. These 

 combs were probalsly notched ))its of wood, shell, or bone, not over 

 an inch or two in width. The net-marked exterior and scarified 

 interior are peculiar to this heavy ware, and give it a high degree of 

 individuality. 



Attempts at systematic decoration are rare. In a few cases, when 

 the rim was turned rather decidedly outward, a band along the inner 

 margin received im^sressions from a bit of net. The outer margin 

 was rudely rounded or squared off. and. in cases, marked with a net, 

 the finger nail, or an implement. Rude, archaic patterns were some- 

 times traced with the fingei- or a l)lunt tool over the net-marked 

 exterior of the vessel. The net was wrapped about the hand or an 

 imjjrovised paddle and ajjplied to the plastic surface by paddling or 

 rocking. The object of this application was possibly threefold: 

 first, to knit the clay together; second, to roughen the surface to 

 facilitate heating, and, third, to give a pleasing- finish. It can not be 

 determined whether the netting used in finishing the surface of these 

 rude vessels was the same as that used in fishing nets, but it may fairly 

 be assumed that it was the same. Rather I'arely here, but frequently 

 elsewhere, this same stjde of ware was finished by applying other 

 varieties of fabric, or by rolling- cord-covered tools over the surface, 

 as is indicated in plate cxxxviii //. 



By taking claj' impressions from the fictile surfaces, numerous 

 restorations of the netting have been made (plate cxxxviii (/). The 

 cords used were well twisted and \'aried from the size of a small thread 

 to that, even, of coarse wrapping thread or twine. The knotting is 

 generallj' simple, the meshes ranging from three to seven to the inch. 

 Illustrations are given in plate cxxxvii (7, ^, ./", <7, h- One example, 

 c, appears to have the threads arranged in pairs, but this effect, though 

 often recurring, may be the i-csult of duplicate imprinting. In cases 

 certain strands present the appearance of having been plaited. 



As we have seen, similar pottery occurs on the Yadkin, in North 

 Carolina; the materials are the same, the shape, size, degree of rude- 

 ness, treatment of the surface, and decoration are the same, even 

 the netting and the practice of partially obliterating the net impres- 

 sions on the whole or a part of the vessels are the same. This 

 pottery is found in more or less typical forms intei'mingled with the 



