Pottery type
Great Bend Aspect Pottery
Great Bend Aspect1200 - 1700 A.D.Plains PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 1200 - 1700 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Plains Pottery
- Material
- Clay tempered with sand and crushed rock; surfaces smoothed or lightly textured, fired to tan, brown, or gray.
Description
Great Bend Aspect refers to the Plains pottery tradition associated with the Great Bend aspect villages along the central Arkansas River. Vessels are typically globular jars with constricted necks, often with incised or tool-impressed decoration on the rim and upper shoulder. Paste is generally grit-tempered, and surfaces may be smoothed or lightly brushed.
Size
Jars typically measure 180 to 320 mm in rim diameter and 200 to 360 mm in height. Wall thickness is generally 6 to 10 mm.
Distribution
Concentrated along the Arkansas River valley in central and south-central Kansas, with some extension into neighboring parts of Oklahoma.
Additional information
Great Bend aspect ceramics are associated with ancestral Wichita groups and reflect intensive maize horticulture. Rim and neck forms, along with specific decorative treatments, distinguish Great Bend wares from other Plains Village traditions.