Whats up with all the pottery??

[autographcollector11]

What's up with all the pottery??

OK, here's a general question. All the pottery that is found, whether it be by myself or those on this forum… It usually is in shards. Now I understand that pottery breaks down over time, especially if it's in the ground. However did the natives intentionally destroy pottery? It seems like most of the shards are of the same size, and usually the same shape. How does this happen?

 

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[NCPeaches]

There's lots of reasons it's in pieces, I've heard sometimes they break it up and they were notorious for recycling everything even pottery, some of it could be as old as 1500 yrs old so all the wear and tear it took with weather, erosion and then later farm equipment not to mention people in general not respecting it and breaking it for fun, that's crazy but I've been told stories. Also, big machinery and moving soil around for building rolls pottery and breaks it. I have a story on that one, here when they built the college the bulldozers were digging up and breaking pots by the tons moving the dirt, there were a lot of people just sick over it. Also, in that spot there was an ancient lake and they used to have tribal meetings there so it had a lot of activity. Flooding rains picks it up and further breaks it. In the creek I hunt I find lots of glass of all colors and it's broken up similar and is also a sign to me that Native American potter will be there too. Hope that helps explain it and good luck on your future hunts!

 

[oxbowbarefoot]

I break at least one dish or glass per month, and I'm only mildly clumsy. Over the millennia, I'm sure that Murphy's Law come into play more often than not with delicate pottery.

 

[captain redbeard]

I find handfuls of flint flakes and have found quite a few broken and whole points of many kinds, but no pottery yet...

 

[rock]

Well on the pottery My friend showed me a article that the NA Indians use to leave pots next to trees along creeks. Dont know why but anyways that is why you find a lot in the creeks rite after a creek floods they wash in.
Also they had a drink and after they drank it they would break the pot to seal the deal. Its called " Black Drink"

 

[captain redbeard]

maybe that is why then. I've done some creek walking, but not nearly as much as I have fields. good info!

 

[RGINN]

In SW Oklahoma there were so many pottery pieces scattered around we wouldn't even pick them up unless they were rim sherds, which aid in ID'ing the culture. Most of the areas we hunted were plowed fields, so agricultural activity accounted for all the breakage. There could be flaws in the pot which would cause premature breakage. They did a lot of moving around and didn't have those Styrofoam packing peanuts so there was some breakage there. They would break up old pots and use them as temper in new pots, also. I've heard of cultures 'sacrificing' pottery in the 4 Corners area. Most of the complete pots I've seen recovered were smaller and rather thick walled. I have a complete larger one, but it's all in pieces and I haven't been able to get it pieced back together to this day. The best recovery I ever saw was back in the 70's in SW Oklahoma. Some guys came into town and had over a dozen complete pots in the bed of their truck. Unfortunately, they were 'pot hunters' and were in it for the money. They offered to sell me one for $1000. They got wind they might be in trouble and faded away, so we never found out where they dug them up or what else might be out there.