# Pottery in Laurens County



## quick68 (Sep 7, 2010)

A friend found this this weekend near the Oconee River in Laurens County. It only has a few cracks in it. Otherwise it is in great condition. Any thoughts on this other than a bowl.
Here are some more pics. These are some additional pieces that were found along with the bowl.


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## Bow Only (Sep 7, 2010)

I'm in Dublin and will tell you how old and what it is if I can just hold it once. 

I need to find an artifact guy around Dublin to run around with.


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## Nicodemus (Sep 7, 2010)

Lord have mercy!!!


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## fishtail (Sep 7, 2010)

Oh my goodness!
Never seen a piece completely intact.
That could be rated as museum quality for something coming from this area.
Don't do anything to it, a very light hair type paint brush would be the most you'd want to clean with. No water, nothing, just a light brush.
moe pictures, we need moe pictures


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## Nugefan (Sep 7, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> Lord have mercy!!!



tell it Brother ....

nice dang find ...


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## Duff (Sep 7, 2010)

Swwwwweeeeeeeeet!


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## fishtail (Sep 7, 2010)

Glance through this thread.
Sorry there are no pottery type identifications just time period designs.  
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=440585


THANKS for sharing that thing!


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## Katera73 (Sep 7, 2010)

Cool find once in a lifetime.


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## Bow Only (Sep 7, 2010)

A very nice piece!


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## bilgerat (Sep 7, 2010)

Ill give him a dollar for it


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## fishtail (Sep 7, 2010)

Alright, you're killin me with the updated photo's!
Can't process all the data.
Just how many intact bowls do you have there?
PLEASE tell me that is the same bowl in all the pictures.


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## HALOJmpr (Sep 7, 2010)

I'll bid 2 dollars!!!   WOW!   Nice find ... thanks for sharing!!!


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## quick68 (Sep 7, 2010)

Fishtail, just one bowl and lots of other pieces. Bow Only, nice to meet you. We enjoyed the info and the conversation. We will be going back there soon to look for more pieces.


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## fishtail (Sep 7, 2010)

And did the other shards come from the same level and general vicinity?



$3.95


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## Bow Only (Sep 7, 2010)

quick68 said:


> Fishtail, just one bowl and lots of other pieces. Bow Only, nice to meet you. We enjoyed the info and the conversation. We will be going back there soon to look for more pieces.



Nice to meet ya'll as well.  You keep finding them, I'll keep talking about them.


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## Big Country (Sep 7, 2010)

WOW! That is an awesome find.


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## HALOJmpr (Sep 7, 2010)

fishtail said:


> And did the other shards come from the same level and general vicinity?
> 
> 
> 
> $3.95



Dang it fishtail ..... that's a quality piece and I'm on a budget.  I'll go $3.96


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## Tugboat1 (Sep 7, 2010)

That's pretty incredible. Thanks for sharing those pics!


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## Great_White_Hunter (Sep 8, 2010)

Dang...How old could it be?


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## Bow Only (Sep 8, 2010)

Great_White_Hunter said:


> Dang...How old could it be?



~1200 years old


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## runswithbeer (Sep 8, 2010)

Bow Only said:


> ~1200 years old



i'm guessing about 600-800


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## Bow Only (Sep 8, 2010)

runswithbeer said:


> i'm guessing about 600-800



An unmodified, simple rim (that's not flattened) on a carstinated bowl with no adornment and a course, sand temper lacking an exterior polish and no sheen in a brown (not buff or black) finish?  Are you kidding?

You're saying it's from AD 1200 to AD 1400?


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## Nicodemus (Sep 8, 2010)

Bow Only said:


> An unmodified, simple rim (that's not flattened) on a carstinated bowl with no adornment and a course, sand temper lacking an exterior polish and no sheen in a brown (not buff or black) finish?  Are you kidding?
> 
> You're saying it's from AD 1200 to AD 1400?





Matt, I`m unfamiliar with the pottery types, other than knowin` some of the names. What are some of the oldest types, and characteristics?


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## Bow Only (Sep 8, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> Matt, I`m unfamiliar with the pottery types, other than knowin` some of the names. What are some of the oldest types, and characteristics?



The oldest pottery is fiber tempered made in an open bowl (sometimes called a simple bowl) and it's often a crudely made ware with the burned out imprints of the temper pitting the pottery throughout.  It often has a rough exterior surface and thicker in cross section than most other wares.  It's rare on inland sites where I'm from, but originated along the southern coast of GA and quickly spread down the eastern coast of FL.


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## runswithbeer (Sep 8, 2010)

but i appreciate ur expertise on the subject....thanks for enlightening me


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## BIG LAZER DEER SLAYER (Sep 8, 2010)

awesome find. must be on a honey hole. better keep that place to yourself


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## Bow Only (Sep 9, 2010)

runswithbeer said:


> but i appreciate ur expertise on the subject....thanks for enlightening me



About 75% of the time, a bowl's shape will give away it's age.


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## tad1 (Sep 9, 2010)

Hate to hijack the post but here's a very similar piece found in same area, my best find.... do you think I could have that bowl too since there brothers???   
Bow plz tell more bout time period, typology, and such.
I also have other shards that seem to represent a large time range with different designs and a couple possibly show fiber tempering that I always thought were way older.  But I'm far from learned in these matters.   
Thanks so much for posting
                                   J.T.


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## 3CB (Sep 9, 2010)

Thats my dream find gent's. I have found thousands of shards. Wow both those are incredible!


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## fishtail (Sep 9, 2010)

tad, I wish I had some basis for what I'm thinking.
But here goes.
The piece you got displays a too recent origin, even seeing the sand/grit tempered exposed edges makes me wonder.
The carved design is not normal for this area and the perfectness of the bowl, well is too perfect.
Y'all please feel free to beat me up over this, but I've not seen anything like it on the southeast coast. 
I'm very inclined to believe the piece may be genuine but is less than 300 years old.


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## fishtail (Sep 9, 2010)

tad, again I apologize. I am definitely not trying to contradict anything about the piece. I'm at a loss as to the carvings and overall absolutely perfect condition of it.
Would you please post several pictures of it, including the bottom, and give some background of the piece?
I'm trying to educate myself, not trying to dismiss a relic of yours I'd like to possess. 
It is very nice! Too nice. I just can't get past questioning it.


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## Bow Only (Sep 9, 2010)

Tad, it's an incised Mississippian ware, probably  AD 1300 to 1400 and that's a guess.  Nice piece.  I'll try to type more after the game.


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## The Original Rooster (Sep 9, 2010)

Nugefan said:


> tell it Brother ....
> 
> nice dang find ...



Preach on! Nice find!


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## dutchman (Sep 9, 2010)

Beautiful piece!


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## TNGIRL (Sep 10, 2010)

WOW!!!!! that just gave me chills down my back to see!!!!! I think it was mine in a previous life....can I have it back?????


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## Bow Only (Sep 10, 2010)

After looking at it a little closer, I'm going to have to go with Fishtail and say I don't think that is an authentic piece.  It's certainly not 500 years old and doesn't fit the description for a piece that is less than 500 unless it's modern.


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## fishtail (Sep 10, 2010)

Here are some of the things that jump out to me on that piece based on just the one picture.
First, I've just never seen a bowl or vessel from this area that had carved adornment, only seen plain, incised, net marked, stamped and the like.
The bottom appears flat to sit on a table, most bowls and vessels I've seen had a round to pointed bottom.
Looking in the interior you can make out the rope method of modeling the bowl,  it appears rushed and unfinished.
There is incomplete burnishing inside and out, the red clay should not have such a contrast if this bowl had been complete or used.
The top rim appears very "worked"  from the maker but unused from a utility standpoint. 
The general overall evenness of the bowl appears to have been made on a potters wheel.
It's a very nice piece but it just don't fit what most people have found in this area.


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## Bow Only (Sep 10, 2010)

fishtail said:


> Here are some of the things that jump out to me on that piece based on just the one picture.
> First, I've just never seen a bowl or vessel from this area that had carved adornment, only seen plain, incised, net marked, stamped and the like.
> The bottom appears flat to sit on a table, most bowls and vessels I've seen had a round to pointed bottom.
> Looking in the interior you can make out the rope method of modeling the bowl,  it appears rushed and unfinished.
> ...



I've seen flat bottoms on both Woodland and Mississipian wares.  Overall, I would agree, especially the lack of finish polish.


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## tad1 (Sep 10, 2010)

I'll have to get a few more pics up for u guys when I get home.  who do u think made it Europeans or desotos crew or what?  
I've got lots n lots of diff motifs on shards as well,  well have to get a post up w some of that soon too.


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## fishtail (Sep 10, 2010)

Not having any education or experience on that type of inscribing, I'd look toward some Midwest to South American influence but I'm still inclined to push toward this as being a white mans doings.

The piece that quick posted is a classic utility type bowl design and construction. Hard to date without a bunch of other factors such as finding other stuff at the same location and level. Very nice usage wear, perfect coloration and form. His type of bowl and construction could have been used throughout most of the periods.

I feel Bow Only has a much better grasp on these animals than I do. 
Again, this is my limited interpretation of these pieces based on the remnants I've found in this area.


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## Bow Only (Sep 10, 2010)

TAD, where was that piece found?  What else was found with it?  How was it found?

I've seen incising like that but not very often.  The problem with many types is the individuality of the potter and many made unique designs.


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## tad1 (Sep 11, 2010)

heres a few more pics. as to location I'll leave it at middle GA near water, not dug so probly well out of context. As you can see, there is a disappointing blemish.  I'm just gonna have to disagree w you guys for now as to authenticity... I guess a white man potter could have spun it up.   Bow , I have read some on what a huge challenge classification of prehistoric ceramics is. 
I'm positive some shards were found near this one but no motifs just like it.  I'd like to post up lots more shards and other pottery but might it be best to start up another thread.   
Oh,   Happy bow season opener!!!!


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## fishtail (Sep 11, 2010)

tad, I do hope my assumptions on that piece is incorrect. 
It is a very nice piece, very worthy of a prominent display location and safekeeping.
Because I have been unable to find anything near being a complete piece I even considered making my own to at least to be able to look at once in a while.
Oh and that "blemish" is just "character".


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