Pottery type
Central Plains Tradition Pottery
Central Plains Tradition900 - 1400 A.D.Plains PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 900 - 1400 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Plains Pottery
- Material
- Clay tempered mainly with sand or crushed rock; surfaces are smoothed, sometimes lightly burnished, and fired to tan, brown, or gray tones.
Description
Central Plains Tradition pottery represents the ceramic component of Plains Village farmers in the central Great Plains. Vessels are usually globular jars with straight or slightly flaring rims, sometimes with small lugs or strap handles. Surfaces are often smoothed or lightly cord-roughened and may show simple tool impressions or shallow incisions, though plain wares dominate in many assemblages.
Size
Most jars range from about 180 to 320 mm in rim diameter and 200 to 360 mm in height. Wall thickness is commonly 6 to 10 mm, thicker near the base.
Distribution
Centered in the central Great Plains, especially along the Republican, Platte, and Missouri river drainages in present-day Kansas, Nebraska, and surrounding areas.
Mainly found in
Additional information
Central Plains Tradition ceramics are key indicators of semi-sedentary agricultural communities, often associated with earthlodge villages and storage pits. Paste, temper, and rim form help distinguish Central Plains wares from later Plains Village and Protohistoric types.