FLORIDA. 



113 



sils having no definite, serious function. I can think of but two ways of explain- 

 ing their existence ; (1) the objects may represent a development of the idea of 

 substitution in burial, articles of value being reserved for further use ; and (2) they 

 may be the product of idle fancy operating after the normal traditions of the native 

 art had been lost sight of and possibly in mere wantonness. In the latter case, how- 

 ever, they would hardly be employed in burial. 



Midden Ware. — The shell deposits of the St. John's furnish varieties of ware 

 said to be confined almost exclusively to these deposits, and supposed to especially 

 characterize the middle period of their accumulation, the earlier period being with- 

 out pottery and the later having many varieties such as appear on the surface in 

 great plenty. This pottery has been recovered only in the shape of sherds and can- 

 not be studied to the best advantage. Among the fragments I. find evidence of 

 considerable variation in texture, treatment and ornamentation. One variety is 

 characterized by a rather fine-grained paste preserving the warm gray colors of the 

 baked clay. The surfaces are finished with the rubbing tool and are plain or 

 have been rather carelessly embellished with patterns of incised straight and 

 curved lines. Another, and the most notable variety, is characterized by the 

 unusual appearance of the paste which has been tempered with a large percentage 

 of fibrous matter, probably cut and finely broken palmetto fiber. This tempering 

 substance has been destroyed by fire or decay leaving the paste highly vesicular and 

 porous and of low specific gravity. Generally these sherds show the decided effects 

 of use over fire. The walls are thick and uneven and the surfaces rudely rubbed 

 down. The forms appear to have consisted mainly of bowls with variously re- 

 curved, incurved and otherwise modified rims, and rounded or flattish bases. The 

 diameter varies from a few inches to a foot or more. Examples restored from the 

 fragments which are sufficiently large to indicate the shape and suggest the true 

 character of the ornament are shown in Fig. 1. 



a b e 



Fig. 1. Restored shapes of midden ware, Tick Island mound. 



They are from the Tick Island mound and appear typical of what, is assumed 

 to be the earliest pottery making period. The execution of the designs is decidedly 

 rude, the incised lines being deep, wide and irregular. The designs themselves, 

 however, seem to comprise not only the archaic forms, seen in a and 5, but running 

 scrolls such as occur in the most advanced groups of southern pottery. The 

 angular interspaces are filled in with indentations as seen in c. There is as yet no 

 absolute measure of the value of particular decorative motives in determining the 

 degree of culture progress, but elaborated scroll work can hardly be called archaic 

 and we must conclude either that this ware does not represent the earliest use of 



