39 
however, to make up only a few pots; and piecing together the rims in 
some cases shows that whole rims may be nearly restored without using up 
all the decorated pieces. Examination of the decorated fragments shows 
pieces of various curves, thicknesses, and kinds of ware, rims of different 
kinds, and fragments bearing totally different decorations, which strongly 
suggests that they are of many different dishes. Some pots may not have 
been decorated at all, since some bottoms (Plate VIII, figures 1 and 2) 
and rims (Plate IX, figures 1, 2) were not decorated; besides, some decor- 
ated fragments have a plain part as large as any undecorated fragment 
found (Plate IX, figure 4). This would account for the fragments without 
decoration. Decoration extends to the upper part of the interior of some 
of the pots (Plate X, figures 14-16). Apparently the rims, necks, and upper 
parts were decorated and the lower parts plain. There is evidence that 
about twelve pots had undecorated rims, whereas about fifty-two had 
decorated rims. That is, between 80 and 90 per cent of the pots had 
decorated rims. 
The ware was ornamented with impressed lines, rows and zigzags of 
small squarish dots or triangles made with a straight or rocking stamp, 
parallel rows and curves of nearly transverse impressions of twisted cord; 
and three fragments show impressions of fabric. Dixon (page 6) states 
that, as one goes eastward from the region of the Maine-New Hampshire 
boundary, cord and textile impressions tend to disappear, and stamped 
designs become more common. Many fragments bearing cord impressions 
were found and about as many of stamped or roulette work. The method 
of producing these impressions is discussed on pages 42 and 43. 
The use to which the pots were put is only conjectural. Birch-bark 
dishes or pots may have been used for holding water and maple sap. The 
pots were probably chiefly used for boiling food. Some of the pieces are 
caked with carbonaceous matter on the inner surface (Plate VIII, figure 4, 
and Plate XI, figures 6 and 11). A few (Plate X, figure 7) are caked on the 
edge of the rim and on the outside, as if food had run over and scorched. 
Charred material may also be seen on the fragments illustrated on Plate 
XI, figures 2, 6, 7, 11. 
In general the ware is thick, crude, and friable, some of it very friable. 
It was made into few shapes, generally large pots, 9 to 12 inches in diameter 
and depth. The necks were not greatly constricted, and the rims were 
carelessly tapered to a rounded edge, squared, or slightly Upped, and 
seldom thickened. The ware was marked with designs and was fired 
at a low temperature. The decoration is all elementary, made up of simple 
combinations of straight lines and dots without life forms and is discussed 
more at length on page 42. It is all Atlantic Algonkian ware, that is, of 
the middle and northern Atlantic slope pottery group, and of the poorer 
type 1 which belongs to the archaic simple northern division of the art, rather 
than to the more highly developed southern pottery. 
Pottery has been found at various places in Nova Beotia, 2 notably in 
refuse below high tide at the head of Chester basin, in the Eisenhauer 
shell-heap near Mahone bay, and near Cooks falls on Lahave river in Lunen- 
burg county. There are about twenty-four fragments of pottery from 
i Cf. Holmes, pp. 21, 145, and 183, and PI. IV. 
* Cf. Piers (a), p. 117. 
