Patterns of Resource Selection in the Manufacture of North Florida Weeden Island Pottery

A technological analysis was carried out on Weeden Island pottery from the North Florida McKeithen site and on locally available clays. The investigation was directed toward identification of the number and kinds of clay resources selected for manufacture of the pottery samples. It was found that a minimum of 11 discrete clay resources were consistently utilized in the manufacture of the pottery, and that over half of the sources appear to have been locally acquired. With respect to particular types of pottery represented in the sample, it was suggested that the majority of all non-spiculite (non-St. Johns or Papys Bayou) pottery at the site was made of local clays. A significant proportion of Weeden Island Incised ceramics is thought to be nonlocal with northwest Florida or southwest Georgia origins. Much of the Weeden Island Zoned Red pottery also appears to be nonlocal, although a tentative origin area could not be suggested. East Florida and the Central Peninsular Gulf Coast region are tentative source areas for the spiculite pottery.