Yeocomico

Defining Attribute

Yeocomico is a shell-tempered Late Woodland ware characterized by smooth, scraped-smooth or cord-marked surfaces. Defined types include Yeocomico Plain, Yeocomico Scraped, and Yeocomico Cord-Marked.

Chronology

Stratigraphic sequences and radiometric dating indicate that Yeocomico ceramics date from ca. A.D. 1500 – A.D. 1700

Distribution

Yeocomico is found in the Coastal Plain region of  Southern Maryland, and in Northern Virginia. Yeocomico ware has been reported for Charles County, St. Mary’s County and the southern end of Calvert County, Maryland.

Description

Paste/Temper
The clay is moderately compact and silty. The temper consists of crushed oyster shell that varies from 5 mm – 9 mm in diameter, but most are only 1 mm – 2 mm in size, and make up 10% – 20% of the paste. Yeocomico has a Moh’s scale hardness of 2.0 – 2.5. Color ranges from an oxidized light reddish tan, to brown, to gray-brown.

Surface Treatment
Exterior surfaces are smoothed over, scraped with a tool, or malleated with a cord-wrapped paddle. Interior surfaces are usually smoothed, but some exhibit scraping on the interior.

Decoration
Decoration is confined to just below the exterior of the rim, and consists of horizontal, vertical, or slightly oblique lines of punctations, or horizontal cord-impressions.

Morphology
Yeocomico vessels are coil-constructed with paddle malleation. The average coil width is 10 mm. Vessels are small to medium in size, and consist of cups, bowls, and jars. Bowls are hemispherical in form, while jars are globular with slightly curved sides. Bases are rounded or semiconical. Rims are straight to excurvate, and lips are rounded, tapered, or flattened. Vessel wall thickness ranges from 4 mm to 8 mm, with mouth diameters ranging from 15 cm – 23 cm.

Defined in the Literature
Yeocomico ceramics were defined based on sherds collected from the Coan River area of Northumberland County Virginia, and the White Oak Point Site (44WM119) on Nomini Bay in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Evans (1955) defined three wares within his Chickahominy Series that are similar to Yeocomico: Sussex Plain, Potts Scraped, and Potts Cord-Wrapped Dowel. Binford’s (1965) Warekeck Ware is also similar to Yeocomico.

Type Site
White Oak Point (44WM119)

Maryland sites with Yeocomico components
Cumberland (18CV171)*, Patuxent Point (18CV271)*, (18CV362)*, Posey (18CH281)*, St. Mary’s City (18ST1)

References

Binford 1965; Evans 1955; Egloff and Potter 1982; Potter 1982, 1993; Waselkov 1982