66 



Ancient American UtensiL 



donation of this interesting relic of antiquity, 1 am indebted to the 

 kindness of Mr. Isaac Rawlings, of Memphis, in Tennessee. He 

 informs me that it was found near his residence, some eight or ten 

 years ago, after one of those extensive falls of the river bank, which 

 are known to be frequent along the line of the Mississippi. It had 

 been buried several feet beneath the surface, and was brought to 

 light by the avalanche. The materials of this piece of Indian pot- 

 tery are blue clay and white particles of a soft, friable substance, 

 resembling calcined and pulverized shells. The exterior has neither 

 glazing nor coaUng of any kind, but only such a degree of smooth- 

 ness as would be likely to result from long use and much handling. 

 It does not appear to have been formed upon a potter's wheel, nor 

 indeed to have received the effects of an}^ machinery in its manu- 

 facture, but the hand which moulded it, must have been not a litde 

 skilled in the production of such articles, as the figure will sufficient- 

 ly indicate. Time appears to have produced but little effect upon 

 the materials. The figure will show two slight fractures of the rim, 

 and the scaling off of the whole exterior part of the base, except on 

 one side. 



At four points, on the upper 3.7{nches 



portion of the body, and equi- 

 distant respectively from each 

 other, are four flattened spots, 

 each about 1.5 inch in diame- 

 ter, and, with one exception, 

 marked by a darker color than 

 the rest of the vessel. Tw^o 

 of these spots are seen in the '^j 

 figure. The depressions were 

 obviously made in the moist 

 state, and, together with the 

 color, may have resulted from 

 the arrangement used in burn- 

 ing or baking the ware j by 

 which means these four points were more pressed than others, while 

 soft, and less exposed to the fire, when hot, than other parts of the 

 vessel. Hence the carbonaceous or other coloring matter, may not 

 have been so completely expelled from these parts of the surface. 



Ardcles of this description must, at a very remote period, have 

 been common in that part of the country whence this was taken. 



&6 



