108 EARTHENWARE OF 



under my observation the textile impressions are in disconnected patches or in pat- 

 terns produced by the application of cords held in the fingers or wrapped on rou- 

 lette-like modelling tools. The woven textures were wrapped about the hand or a 

 paddle and used as stamps to weld the clay together and at the same time decorate 

 the surface. 



Use. — The uses to which the earthenware of Florida has been devoted are 

 probably about as usual in the general region. There were vessels for use in the 

 full range of domestic operations — cooking, carrying, containing, eating, drinking, 

 etc. ; there were others for ceremonial occasions and for burial with the dead. 

 There were also figurines representing animals to be used as toys or as ceremonial 

 appurtenances. There were also pipes ar i beads as well as other objects of unusual 

 shapes not assignable to any known use. 



The employment of earthenware in burial is of special interest. The dead 

 were buried in ordinary graves and in sand mounds and exceptionally in shell 

 mounds, and here as elsewhere it was customary to deposit various utensils with the 

 bodies. The vase for food, medicine or property was a universal accompaniment of 

 the departed savage throughout America, and the tens of thousands of specimens 

 now gracing our museums are there by virtue of this well known custom ; but 

 there are some curious and interesting features connected with the practice. Over 

 much of the country the vessels were deposited entire and are so recovered by our 

 explorers, but in some sections, notably along the Gulf coast and in the Florida 

 peninsula, a practice had arisen of breaking the vessel before consigning it to the 

 ground. Two explanations may be given of this proceeding ; first, that since the 

 vessel was usually regarded as being endowed with the spirit of some creature of 

 mythologic importance, it was appropriate that it should be " killed " before burial 

 that the spirit might be free to accompany that of the dead person ; second, that 

 the vessel might not be of value to possible robbers bold enough to desecrate the 

 graves for their store of utensils. 



The facts brought out by the recent explorations of Mr. Moore add new fea- 

 tures of interest. In cases it is apparent that the vessels were not only broken be- 

 fore burial but that fragmentary vessels were used ; and again that, as in the Tick 

 Island Mound and elsewhere, sherds only were buried, serving as substitutes for and 

 representing the entire vessel. An exceptional feature of these phenomena is the 

 presence in some of the burial mounds of sherds broken out to rudely resemble 

 notched spear and arrow points. It would seem that the economic mourners had 

 reached a point of thrift at which the sherd was made to represent the vessel 

 formerly used, and that, enlarging its office, the sherd was modified in shape 

 that it might also represent and take the place of such implements of stone and 

 other materials as were formerly freely devoted to the service of the dead. 



Still more remarkable is the practice, which seems to have become pretty gen- 

 eral in Florida, of making vessels especially for burial purposes ; first, in close imi- 

 tation of the real vessels but with open bases so that they did not need to be broken 

 or " killed " when inhumed and at the same time did not encourage robbery ; and, 



