|
Prehistoric Sherd Identification
Below
are four charts that offer a quick way to identify prehistoric
ceramics. Select the region where the pottery was found and
the follow the chart across from left to right. Start with
the temper type, then go to surface treatment. Differences
in decoration techniques and other defining characteristics
will help narrow the ceramic ware choices. When a ware name
is found, then click on its name on the left hand sidebar
to go to the ware definition page.
Western
Shore Coastal Plain; Eastern
Shore Coastal Plain; Piedmont;
Western Maryland
|
| WESTERN
SHORE COASTAL PLAIN |
| TEMPER |
SURFACE
TREATMENT |
DECORATION |
OTHER
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS |
CERAMIC
WARE |
| Steatite |
Plain |
|
flat
bottoms; lug handles |
Marcey
Creek |
| Cord-Marked |
|
|
Selden
Island |
| Sand |
Plain |
Plain,
Incised or Cord-Impressed |
|
Moyaone |
| Cord-Marked |
Usually
undecorated |
Deep
cord marks, usually oblique to rim |
Accokeek |
| Complex
decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Plain,
Incised or Cord-Impressed |
|
Moyaone |
| Net-Impressed |
|
often
with interior scoring |
Popes
Creek |
| Fabric-Impressed |
Complex
decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Quartz |
Cord-Marked |
Usually
undecorated |
Deep
cord marks, usually oblique to rim |
Accokeek |
| Cord-wrapped
stick impressions |
|
Potomac
Creek |
| Complex
decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Smoothed |
Cord-wrapped
stick impressions |
|
Potomac
Creek |
| Fabric-Impressed |
Complex
decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Crushed
Rock |
Cord-Marked |
Complex
decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Fabric-Impressed |
Complex
decorations |
|
| Shell |
Plain |
|
|
Yeocomico |
| Cord-Marked |
|
|
Mockley |
| |
|
Sullivan
Cove |
| Net-impressed |
|
|
Mockley |
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
Townsend |
|
| EASTERN
SHORE COASTAL PLAIN |
| TEMPER |
SURFACE TREATMENT |
DECORATION |
OTHER DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS |
CERAMIC WARE |
| Steatite |
Plain |
|
|
Marcey Creek |
| Sand |
Cord-Marked |
Usually undecorated |
Deep cord marks,
usually oblique to rim |
Accokeek |
| Complex decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
| Hornblende |
Plain |
|
|
Dames
Quarter |
| Gneiss |
Plain |
|
|
| Quartz |
Cord-Marked |
Usually undecorated |
Deep cord marks,
usually oblique to rim; sherds range 6mm - 8mm thick |
Accokeek |
| Undecorated |
Sherds average 10
mm in thickness |
Wolfe Neck |
| Complex decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Net-Impressed |
Undecorated |
|
Wolfe Neck |
| Fabric-Impressed |
Complex decorations |
|
Minguannan |
| Crushed
Rock |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Minguannan |
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
| Grog |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Coulbourn |
| Net-Impressed |
|
|
| Shell |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Mockley |
| Net-Impressed |
|
|
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
Townsend |
|
| PIEDMONT |
| TEMPER |
SURFACE
TREATMENT |
DECORATION |
OTHER
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS |
CERAMIC
WARE |
| Steatite |
Plain |
|
|
Marcey
Creek |
| Cord-Marked |
|
|
Selden
Island |
| Sand |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Accokeek |
| Net-impressed |
|
|
Popes
Creek (rare) |
| Quartz |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Accokeek |
| Cord-wrapped
stick or Cord-Impressed |
|
Shephard |
| Incised |
|
Shenks
Ferry |
| Gneiss |
Cord-Marked |
Cord-wrapped
stick or Cord-Impressed |
|
Shephard |
| Incised |
|
Shenks
Ferry |
| Limestone |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Page |
| Shell |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Mockley
(rare) |
| Cord-wrapped
stick or paddle impressions |
|
Keyser |
| Net-impressed |
|
|
Mockley
(rare) |
| Smoothed |
Cord-wrapped
stick or paddle impressions |
|
Keyser |
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
Townsend
(rare) |
|
| WESTERN
MARYLAND |
| TEMPER |
SURFACE TREATMENT |
DECORATION |
OTHER DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS |
CERAMIC WARE |
| Steatite |
Plain |
|
flat bottoms, lug
handles |
Marcey Creek (rare) |
| Sand |
Cord-Marked |
Usually undecorated |
Deep cord marks,
usually oblique to rim |
Accokeek |
| Quartz |
Cord-Marked
Cord-Marked |
Usually undecorated |
Deep cord marks,
usually oblique to rim |
Accokeek |
| |
|
Shephard |
| Gneiss |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Shephard |
| Limestone |
Cord-Marked |
Undecorated |
|
Watson |
| |
|
Page |
| |
|
Monongahela |
| Crushed
Rock |
Cord-Marked
Cord-Marked
Cord-Marked
Cord-Marked |
|
Interior cord-marking |
Vinette |
| |
|
Page |
| |
|
Monongahela |
| Cord-wrapped stick
impressions |
row of punctations
or raised nodes below rim |
Clemson Island |
| Fabric-Impressed |
|
|
Clemson Island |
| Shell |
Cord-Marked |
|
|
Keyser |
| Smoothed |
|
|
Keyser |
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