Ripley Engraved Pottery

Ripley Engraved1200 – 1600 A.D.Caddo Pottery

Key facts

Age: 1200 – 1600 A.D.
Cultural period: Caddo Pottery
Material: Grog- or bone-tempered clay with smoothed, sometimes burnished surfaces. Engraving occurs after drying and before firing.

Description

Ripley Engraved is a classic Caddoan engraved ceramic type from the East Texas region. Vessels are usually carinated bowls and bottles with finely incised and engraved motifs such as scrolls, concentric circles, nested triangles, and parallel lines. Lines are cut deeply and precisely, often filled with white pigment to enhance contrast.

Size

Carinated bowls typically measure 14–30 cm in diameter; bottles range 16–28 cm tall. Walls are relatively thin, around 4–7 mm.

Distribution

Centered in the Neches and Angelina River drainages of East Texas with spread into adjacent Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Mainly found in

Additional information

Ripley Engraved is strongly tied to elite Caddo ceremonial and mortuary contexts. Fired surfaces are often glossy from careful polishing.

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