Caddo Ceramic Vessels from the Loftis and Pearl Smith Sites in Harrison County, Texas

Timothy K Perttula,Bo Nelson

doi:10.21112/.ita.2014.1.45

Abstract

The Loftis (HC-53) and Pearl Smith (HC-60) sites are ancestral Caddo sites that were investigated by Buddy Jones, probably in 1960, but those investigations were never published by Jones. The sites are along Clarks Creek in the Sabine River basin in southwestern Harrison County in East Texas; Loftis is about 3 km north of the Pearl Smith site. Jones excavated Caddo burials from both sites, and also conducted limited investigations in Caddo habitation deposits at the Loftis site. There are two vessels from the Loftis site and one vessel from the Pearl Smith site in the Buddy Jones collection at the Gregg County Historical Museum. There are no notes or plans of the burial features excavated by Jones at either site. Burials had apparently been excavated by several people at the Loftis site, including Jones , and the burials ex

Highlights

The three ancestral Caddo cerami~: vessels from the Loftis and Pearl Smith sites on Clarks Creek likely come from post-A.D. 1450 Titus phase burials in settlements and cemeteries that are part of the recently defined Pine Tree Mound community (Fields and Gadus 20 l2:Figures 9.9 and 9.10) in the mid-Sabine River basin
A stylistically similar carinated bowls was excavated from one of the burials at the Pine Tree Mound site (41HS15) (Fields and Gadus 20l2:Figure 6.25)

Summary

LOVriS SITE VESSELS

SITE NAME OR SITE "'UMBER: Loftis VESSEL NO.: 2003.0R.R54 VESSEL FORM: Jar with rim peaks and strap handles (23 x 21 mm in lt:ngth and width) HEIGHT (JN CM): N/A ORIFICE DIAMETER (IN CM): 21.0 DIAMETER AT BOTTOM Of RIM OR NECK (IN CM): 20.6 BASE DIAMETER (IN CM) AND SHAPE OF BASE: N/A ESTIMATED VOLUME (IN LITERS): N/A DECORATION (INCLUDING MOTIF AND ELEMENTS WHEN APPARENT): The rim has vertical hrushed-incised marks and lines. SITE NAME OR SITE NUMBER: Loftis VESSEL NO .: 2003.0!L855 NON-PLASTICS AND PASTE: grog VESSEL FORM: Carinated bowl HEIGHT (IN CM): N/A ORIFICE DIAMETER (IN CM): 20.0 DIAMETER AT BOTTOM OF RIM OR NECK (IN CM): 19.6 BASE DIAMETER (IN CM) AND SHAPE OF BASE: N/A ESTIMATED VOLUME (IN LITERS): N/A DECORATION (INCLUDING MOTIF AND ELEMENTS WHEN APPARENT): The rim has a panel defined hy upper and lower horiLontal engraved lines. PIGMENT USE AND LOCATION ON VESSEL: none TYPE AND VARIETY [IF KNOWN]: Unidentified fine ware

PEARL SMTTH SITE VESSEL

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS