Pottery type
Moundville Incised Pottery
Moundville Incised1200 – 1450 A.D.Mississippian PotteryKey facts
- Age
- 1200 – 1450 A.D.
- Cultural period
- Mississippian Pottery
- Material
- Shell-tempered clay with well-smoothed surfaces. Incising is performed when the clay is leather-hard, creating crisp lines.
More from the Mississippian period
Description
Moundville Incised is a decorated Mississippian ceramic type from the Moundville chiefdom in Alabama. Vessels are typically globular jars and bowls with straight or lightly flaring rims. Incised motifs often include nested triangles, curvilinear bands, parallel lines, and zoned geometric panels. Decoration commonly appears on the upper body or rim zone while the lower vessel remains plain.
Size
Jars typically measure 18–32 cm in height; bowls range from 16–28 cm in diameter. Walls average around 5–8 mm thick.
Distribution
Primarily concentrated at the Moundville site and satellite settlements in the Black Warrior drainage of west-central Alabama.
Mainly found in
Additional information
Moundville Incised is part of a broader ceremonial pottery suite that includes engraved, painted, and burnished types associated with elite contexts in the Black Warrior River Valley.