Pottery type
Harleton Applique Pottery
Harleton Applique1200 – 1500 A.D.Caddo PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 1200 – 1500 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Caddo Pottery
- Material
- Fine to medium clay tempered with grog (crushed pottery) or sand. Surfaces are smoothed or lightly burnished; appliqué strips are added while leather-hard, then refined by hand before firing.
Description
Harleton Applique is a Caddo ceramic type characterized by clay fillets, nodes, or raised strips applied to vessel shoulders or upper bodies. These appliqué elements often form parallel ridges, looped bands, or small raised nodes. Vessels are usually jars or bowls with slightly everted rims and well-smoothed surfaces. The applied clay elements are the primary identifying feature, and decoration may be combined with light incising or brushing.
Size
Typical jars range from 18–32 cm in rim diameter and 18–34 cm tall, with wall thickness around 5–8 mm. Bowls typically fall between 14–26 cm in diameter.
Distribution
Most common in northeastern Texas and adjacent Caddoan regions, especially near the Sabine and Red River drainages, appearing in both mound and village sites.
Additional information
Harleton Applique occurs mainly in Late Caddo domestic contexts. The raised clay strips are thought to have both stylistic and functional roles, helping improve grip or visually marking vessel identity within households.