Frankston Phase Ceramics from the Alcoa #1 (41AN87) Site, Mound Prairie Creek, Anderson County, Texas

In 1990, Amick investigated a well-preserved Late Caddo Frankston phase midden deposit at the ALCOA #1 (41AN87) site on Mound Prairie Creek, about 7 km northeast of Palestine, Texas. During the course of that work, more than 900 Caddo ceramic vessel sherds and a few pipe sherds were recovered, but they were only cursorily described by Amick. That was unfortunate at the time because it appeared then, and is still evident now, that the ALCOA #I site was a single component 15th century A.D. Frankston phase settlement, and detailed study of the recovered ceramic assemblage would have provided unique insights into the stylistic and technological character of the ceramic vessels being made and used for culinary purposes by the prehistoric Caddo in this part of the Neches River basin. With the renewed study of the archaeology of the Frankston phase occasioned by the Texas Department of Transportation-sponsored excavations at the Lang Pasture site (41AN38) and the recovery there of a substantial ceramic sherd assemblage-and the reexamination of sherd and vessel collections from Frankston phase collections at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, I returned to the detailed study of the ALCOA # 1 ceramic assemblage. The assemblage of ceramic vessel sherds from the Amick work is sufficiently robust that it is possible to characterize with some precision the use of fine wares, utility wares, and plain wares by the 15th century A.D. Caddo that lived at the site.


INTRODUCTION
In 1990, Amick et al. ( 1991) investigated a well-preserved Late Caddo Frankston phase midden deposit at the ALCOA #1 (41ANR7) site on Mound Prairie Creek, about 7 km northeast of Palestine, Texas. During the course of that work, more than 900 Caddo ceramic vessel sherds and a few pipe sherds were recovered, but they were only cursorily described by Amick et al. ( 1991 ). That was unfortunate at the time because it appeared then, and is still evident now, that the ALCOA #1 site was a single component 15 1 h century A.D. Frankston phase settlement, and detailed study of the recovered ceramic assemblage would have provided unique insights into the stylistic and technological character of the ceramic vessels being made and used for culinary purposes by the prehistoric Caddo in this part of the Neches River basin.
With the renewed study of the archaeology of the Frankston phase occasioned by the Texas Department of Transportation-sponsored excavations at the Lang Pasture site (41AN38, Perttula et al. 2007)-and the recovery there of a substantial ceramic sherd assemblage-and the reexamination of sherd and vessel collections from Frankston phase collections at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, I returned to the detailed study of the ALCOA# 1 ceramic assemblage. The assemblage of ceramic vessel sherds from the Amick et al. (1991) work is sufficiently robust that it is possible to characterize with some precision the usc of fine wares, utility wares, and plain wares by the 15 1 h century A.D. Caddo that lived at the site.

SITE INVESTIGATIONS
The ALCOA# 1 site covers no more than 0.5-1 acres in size, with a ca. I 00 m 2 trash midden deposit that is 60-70 em in thickness. In 1990, Amick et al. ( 1991 : Figure 1) excavated a single 1 x I m unit (Unit 1), excavated in 10 em arbitrary levels, in the heart of the midden deposits. A large quantity of ceramic vessels (to be described below), animal bones (n= 799), and charred hickory nutshells were recovered in the midden excavations. Calibrated radiocarbon dates obtained from charred nutshells in level4 (30-40 em bs) and level 6 (50-60 em bs) in Unit I were: AD 13R0-1514 (2 sigma, 0.75 relative area under probability distribution) and AD 1294-1437 (2 sigma, 1.00 relative area under probability distribution), respectively. Calibrated intercepts of the two radiocarbon age ranges were AD 1426 (level 4) ami AD 1407 (level 6), suggesting an occupation that began in the early 15th century A.D.

THE CERAMIC ASSEMBLAGE
The ceramic assemblage rrom the ALCOA #I site includes 913 vessel sherds (Table 1) and seven elbow pipe sherds (Table 2). This is a very high density of more than 1300 vessel sherds and 10 pipe sherds per m 3 of midden archaeological deposits, and this density suggests that there is an estimated midden content of ca. 91,000 vessel sherds from hundreds of different vessels and ca. 700 pipe sherds from at least 25-50 different pipes. The highest densities of sherds occur at the top and bottom of the midden deposits (see Table I), but the densities remain quite high throughout the midden deposits, suggesting a continuous accumulation of broken vessels and vessel fragments during the course of the Frankston phase Caddo occupation.
Of the 913 vessel sherds from the ALCOA #1 site, 335 are decorated. The plain to decorated sherd ratio in this Unit 1 assemblage is 1.73.

Methods of Analysis
Detailed analysis of the ceramic sherds (about a 33% sample) from the ALCOA #1 site (Appendix  1987), and firing conditions ( cf. Teltser 1993 ). Sherd cross-sections were inspected macroscopically and with a lOX hand lens to determine the character of the paste and its inclusions. Determining the firing conditions is based on the identification of the firing core in the sherd cross-sections and the identification of oxidation patterns as defined in Teltser (1993:535-536 and Figure 2a-h) and Perttula (2005: Figure 5-30i-l). More specifically, the following attributes were employed in the analysis of the vessel ceramics: (a) temper, the deliberate and indeterminate materials found in the paste (Rice 1987:411 ), including a variety of tempers (grog or crushed sherds, grit or crushed quartz pebbles, and burned mussel shell) and "particulate matters of some size;" (b) although most of the sherds are small and thus from indeterminate vessel forms, where sherds were large enough, vessel form categories include open containers (bowls) and restricted containers, including jars and bottles. Other form attributes include rim profile (direct or vertical, and inverted) and lip profile (rounded, flat, Pipe stem sherds N 2 3 2 or folded to the exterior). In a few cases, base shape could also be recorded. Observations on ceramic shcrd cross-sections permit consideration of oxidation patterns (Teltser 1993: Figure 2), namely the conditions under which a vessel was fired and then cooled after firing. Finally, wall thickness was recorded in millimeters (mm), using a vernier caliper, along the mid-section of the sherd. With respect to interior and exterior surface treatment on the sherds, the primary methods of finishing the surface of the vessels includes smoothing and burnishing, and polishing. Smoothing creates "a finer and more regular surface ... [and] has a matte rather than a lustrous surface" (Rice 1987: 138). Burnishing creates an irregular lustrous finish marked by parallel facets left by the burnishing tool (perhaps a smoothed pebble or bone). A polished surface treatment is marked by a uniform and highly lustrous surface finish. done when the vessel is dry, but without "the pronounced parallel facets produced by burnishing leather-hard clay" (Rice 1987: 138).
Decorative techniques present in the ALCOA #1 site ceramic sherd collection include engraving and engraving-punctation in the fine wares. and incising, incising-punctated, punctated, brushing, appliqucd, and pinching in the utility wares.
Engraving was done with a sharp tool when the vessel was either leather-hard or after it was fired, while the other decorative techniques were executed with tools (incising and punctation with wood or bone sticks or dowels and brushing with frayed sticks or grass bundles), with finger impressions (pinching) when the vessel was wet or still plastic, and by adding strips and nodes of clay to the vessel body (appliqued).
The 335 decorated sherds from the site (see Table 1) are readily separated into fine wares (n=60) or utility wares (n=27 5), following the distinctions discussed by Schambach and Miller ( 1984) at the Cedar Grove site in the Great Bend area in southwestern Arkansas. These distinctions include apparent differences in temper, surface treatment, vessel forms, and decorative methods. Utility wares generally are jars and simple bowls used for the cooking and storage of foods, have a coarse temper, and lack burnishing, polishing, or slipping on interior and exterior vessel sherd surfaces. Such vessel sherds are decorated with brushing, incising, punctations (tool, cane, or fingernail), and appliqued elements, either by themselves or in combination with one or more of these decorative methods (see Perttula et al. 1995;Schambach and Miller 1984;Suhm and Jelks 1962). Fine wares, on the other hand, consist principally of engraved and slipped vessel sherds from carinated bowls, some simple bowls, and bottles. The fine ware vessel sherds more frequently are smoothed or burnished on the exterior vessel surface, and as will be discussed in more detail below, the fine ware vessels from the ALCOA #1 site were made, fired, and used in different ways than were the utility ware vessels.

Fine Ware Sherds
The fine ware sherds from the ALCOA #1 site include 15 rims and 45 body sherds with either engraved (n=57, 14 rims) or engraved-punctated (n=3, 1 rim) elements; they comprise 17.9% of all the decorated sherds from the site. More than 27% of the rims from the site are from fine ware vessels. It is likely that with the exception of bottles, which were engraved on the bottle body, the other engraved sherds were from vessels (i.e., carinated bowls) that were decorated only on the rim panel. About 8% of the engraved fine ware sherds have had a hematite-rich red clay pigment smeared into the engraved design (see Appendix l ); there are no red-slipped fine ware sherds in the assemblage. All of the engraved sherds appear to be from Poynor Engraved vessels.
The 14 engraved rim sherds include six with a single horizontal engraved line on it, probably either the top or bottom of the rim panels that encircle the engraved carinated bowls. One other has closely-spaced diagonal engraved lines, probably part of a scroll, as is a second rim with horizontal and diagonal lines. A third miscellaneous engraved rim has horizontal, diagonal, and vertical lines that form part of a hatched triangle attached to a larger, but unidentifiable, Poynor Engraved motif. Three rims are from Poynor Engraved, var. Hood carinated bowls (Perttula 2008)  Eleven body sherds with engraving have portions of hatched elements and motifs commonly found on Poynor Engraved vessels. Among these are six with hatched triangles (see Figure 1 f-g) at the comers of larger but unidentifiable motifs, three with curvilinear hatched areas, probably also fanning triangular elements attached to a larger motif (see Figure la-b), probably oval-shaped areas on a rim panel. Another body sherd-of uncertain orientation-has curvilinear hatched triangles in one area and a set of closely-spaced parallel engraved lines in an adjacent area (see Figure 1 i).
The remaining engraved sherds include seven with a single straight line, three with sets of curvilinear lines (see Figure lj, on a carinated bowl), six with opposed sets of lines, and eight with closelyspaced parallel engraved lines.
There are several engraved bottle sherds (n=7, see Appendix 1) in the fine ware assemblage. With two exceptions, these have sets of curvilinear lines on the vessel body, but the overall motif is unidentifiable. The other two have either closely-spaced parallel or horizontal-diagonal engraved lines on the bottle body.
The first of the engraved-punctated sherds is a body sherd from a bottle. The small piece has a straight engraved line adjacent to a zone filled with small etched tool punctates. The two others are from one version of decorated Poynor Engraved, var. Lang carinated bowls (Perttula 2008). Both have small engraved circles fil1ed with etched tool punctations (see Figure lc, k), and these punctated-filled circles are centered within large ovals repeated on the rim panel.

Utility Ware Sherds
The utility ware sherds appear to be from the decorated portions of jars, probably used for cooking and/or food storage. These include 26 rim sherds (mainly from vessels decorated with incised or fingernail punctated elements) and 249 body sherds, or 82. I% of all the decorated sherds from the ALCOA #1 site. Many of the decorated utility ware shen.ls have brushing marks (Table 3), particularly on body sherds. Approximately 70% of the utility ware body sherds have brushing marks on them, but only 15% of the utility ware rim sherds, indicating that brushed decorations were confined primarily to the bodies of jars. Other important decorated utility wares include sherds from vessels with incised designs ( 15.6% of all the sherds and 50% of the rims), fingernail punctated shenls (8.7% of all the utility ware sherds and 19.2% of the rims), and incised-punctated vessel sherds (3.6% of all the utility ware sherds and 11.5% of the rims) ( Table 3).
The three brushed rims from the ALCOA# I site have either vertical (n=l) or horizontal (n=2) brushing marks on them. Jar vessel bodies have primarily parallel (or vertical) brushing (89% of the brushed body sherds, n= 150), with overlapping brushing (9.5%, n=l6) or opposed brushing (1.2%, n=2) elements decidedly less well represented.
A few other sherds (see Table 3) have brushing in combination with other decorative methods. Four have brushed-incised elements, including one rim with vertical brushing-incising, one body with parallel brushed-incised lines, and two other body sherds with parallel brushing marks with overlapping incised lines. One body sherd has a single vertical row of pinching adjacent to a panel filled with diagonal brushing (Figure 2o). Another body sherd has a row of tool punctates above an area with vertical brushing marks; the tool punctated row is probably at the rim-body juncture. The last such body sherd has overlapping brushing marks and a straight incised line, with fingernail punctates pushed through the brushing. Vessel sherds with im:ised line decorations are an important part of the decorated utility wares at the ALCOA #I site. As previously mentioned, more than 15.6% of all the utility ware sherds are incised, as well as 50% of all the utility ware rim sherds (see Table 3).
The incised rim sherds are dominated by those that have sets of diagonal incised lines (n=7 or 54% of the incised rims), usually widely-spaced around the rim. Other rims with incised line decorations include one with cross-hatched incised lines, another with horizontal incised lines, one with horizontal and diagonal lines, and a fourth with vertical and diagonal incised lines. Two more distinctive incised rims indude: one with large alternating and hatched incised triangles (see Figure 2b) that extend from the rim to a set of horizontal incised lines farther down the vessel body, and another with large alternating triangles and triangular incised corners where the hatched lines are pitched in different directions (see Figure 2c); this rim also has pinched strap handles that apparently served to divide the incised rim panel.
Incised body sherds have almost exclusively simple straight or geometric designs; one incised body sherd has a series of curvilinear lines. This includes 12 with a single straight incised line, 13 with parallel sets of lines (orientation on the vessel is uncertain), and three with opposed incised lines 275 (see Figure 2d). Of those with parallel incised lines, 85% have widely-spaced and parallel lines; the others are closely-spaced. Including one pinched-punctated sherd, 12% of the utility ware sherds (and 23.1% of the rim sherds) from the ALCOA #1 site have punctated decorative elements (n=35 sherds). Most of these are fingernail pum:tated, either in vertical panels (n=5) on rims (see Figure 2a) or in rows (n= 18) on the vessel rim or body. One body sherd has free or randomly placed large fingernail punctates. One tool punctated rim has sets of vertical panels, but the eight body sherds have one or more rows of tool punctations. Another body sherd has rows of closely-spaced linear punctalions. Finally, one body sherd has a rectilinear row of pinching that encloses a zone filled with fingernail punctations (see Figure 2n).
Incised-punctated sherds (n= 1 0) comprise 3.6% of all the utility ware sherds, and 11.5% (n=3) of the utility ware rim sherds. In eight of the l 0 sherds, the decoration consists of either straight, diagonal, or opposed incised line elements that have been employed to create zones filled with tool punctations (n=7) or fingernail punctations (n=I). These incised and punctated-fillcd zones may be triangular (see Figure 2g) or rectangular panels (see Figure 2h), or sherds with wmbinations of different-sized triangles (see Figure 2i) on a vessel rim. Two sherds have : circular or curvilinear incised elements, one an incised circle filled with tool punctations (see Figure  2f) and the other with sets of curvilinear incised lines and a tool-punctated zone of uncertain form.
Nine body sherds have appliqued decorations (see Table 3 ), 3.3% of all the utility ware sherds. The most common include appliqued nodes (n= 1 ), ridges (n=3, st:e Figure 2k), or ridges and nodes (n= l, Figure 2j). One jar handle has three vertical appliqued ridges on it. Three other body sherds have either ridges (n=2) or nodes (n=l) on the vessel body, with fingernail punctated (n=2) or tool punctated (n=l, see Figure 2m) rows or zones adjacent Lo the appliqued elements. Finally, another sherd-possibly part of a jar handle--has a broad appliqued ridge with three appliqued nodes on it; adjacent to the broad appliqued ridge are several diagonal incised lines (see Figure 21).

Plain Ware Sherds
The 578 plain ware sherds include 14 rims, 554 body sherds, and l 0 base sherds. While many of the plain sherds in lhe ALCOA #1 assemblage are undoubtedly from the undecorated portions of decorated tine ware and utility ware vessels, the proportion of plain rims among all the rims in the assemblage (25.4%) and the ratio of plain to decorated rims (l :2.9) indicates that plain vessels (probably bowls. carinated bowls, and an occasional bottle, see Appendix 1) comprise a substantial pan of the vessels made and used by the Caddo during the occupation.

Assemblage Characterization of the Vessel Sherds
In this section, I discuss the character of the ALCOA #1 vessel sherd assemblage with respect to the use of ditferent kinds of temper and the apparent use of a naturally sandy clay for vessel manufacture, firing conditions, vessel wall thickness. and rim and lip form. These comparisons provide a good sense. of the various technological attributes that charactenze prehistoric Caddo pottery manufacture in the upper Neches River basin.

Temper and Paste
The ALCOA #1 ceramic sherds from the plain wares, utility wares. and fine wares are tempered with grog or crushed sherds (Table 4). Between 90.7-93.9% of the sherds from the site have grog temper, which is consistent with other upper Neches River Frankston and Allen phase sites (Perttula 2007:80 and Table 1).
A notable feature of the ALCOA #l sherd assemblage, however, is the regular use of crushed hematite as a temper, particularly in the plain wares and utility wares (54.4-55.4%), but even ahundant in the fine wares (45.4%). Crushed and burned bone was a decidedly secondary choice as a temper additive by Caddo potters at the site. comprising only 2.2-11.4% of the sherds in the three wares. Less than 10% of the sherds have charred organic materials preserved in the paste, and this material is less a deliberate temper than an accidental organic inclusion in the clay paste that was not completely combusted (probably due to a short firing episode) during firing. The addition of coarse fragments of em shed hematite and bone, either ~eparatcly or together, found in 54.9-65.8% of the sherds (see Table 4), would have made the clay selected for vessel manufacture more plastic and increased its strength and use-life. These were properties that were important in the successful manufacture of durable pottery vessels, along with the use of grog. The selection of grogsometimes finely cmshed-as the primary temper by the Frankston phase potters may have been for both technological and stylistic properties. The addition of grog in the paste would slow the oxidation process, creating darker-colored vessels in reducing environments. while allowing them to be fired longer, with more control, and producing a harder ceramic (Rice 1987:354;Teltser 1993:532, 540). Furthermore, because grog would have comparable expansion coefficients to that of the clay paste, this would contribute to the ability of a fired vessel to withstand heat-related stresses, increase its flexural strength (O'Brien et al. 1994:281;Rice 1987:362), and have better thermal conductivity.
Shcrds with a sandy paste account for between 8.8o/c and 23.7% of the ALCOA #1 sherds (see Table  4 ). Most of these are among the utility ware sherds (23. 7%), with lesser but comparable amounts among the plain wares and line wares (8.8-11.3% ). lt is likely that these differences arc apparent because Caddo potters recognized that sandy clays held up better to heat-related stresses and helped with vessel porosity and thermal conductivity, all beneficial in ve~sels designed to receive repeated use for cooking and heating foods and liquids, such as the utility ware cooking jars, while vessels designed for different purposes (i.e., the plain wares and fine wares) have different paste compositions (see Rice 1996: 139).

Firing
The Caddo vessel sherds from the ALCOA #I site were fired under a variety of conditions (Table  5), primarily in a reducing or low oxygen environment, probably because of the smothering of the vessel in a bed of coals from a wood fire. This method of firing is typical of Caddo ceramic assemblages throughout East Texas. After firing, most of the vessels were apparently cooled in a high oxygen environment (especially the plain wares and the fine wares). meaning that the fire-hardened vessels were probably removed from the fire to cool, producing a thin oxidized or lighter surface on either one (i.e., firing conditions G and H) or both (i.e., firing condi-tion F) vessel surface~.
About 69% of the fine ware~ were fired in a reducing environment, compared to 4R.l-55.77'c in the utility wares and plain wares, respectively (see Table 5). The fine ware vessel sherds are from vessels that were better made and better fired (in terms of regulating the firing temperature), as well as probably fired longer in a low oxygen environment. This produced fine ware vessels that were harder and more durable than the other two ceramic wares from the site.
Between 30.8-45.2% uf the vessel sherds are from vessels that were fired in either a high oxygen environment or they were not completely oxidized during firing; the highest proportion of sherds fired in this manner occur among the utility wares (see Table 5 ). In the latter case, this probably represents a situation where it was not necessary, provided that their porosity was not excessive, for utility vessels tu be fired for as long a time as the harder fine wares, but still remained serviceable over time without being subject to diminished strength frurn cumulative thermal fatigue as well as cracks and fracture:;.
There are significant differences in how utility wares and fine ware vessels were fired at the AL-COA #l site, with the plain wares intermediate in firing conditions, indicating its more diverse formal and functional character. Nevertheless, the relative consistency in how the vessels at the ALCOA #I site were fired indicates that the Caddo potters who made those vessels were well-versed in regulating firing and cooling temperatures as well as maintaining control over Lhc final finished end product, namely the manufacture of durable and relatively hard vessels with different forms and functions.

Vessel Wall Thicknes~
The fine ware vessel sherds from the ALCOA #I site are thinner than the decorated utility ware or plain ware sherds. particularly along the rim (Table  6). These variations in vessel wall thickness arG likely related to functional and technological differences in how these different wares were intended to be used by Caddo potters. The more substantial vessel walls in the utility wares would be well suited to the cooking and heating of foods and liquids and would have contributed to their ability to withstand heat-related stresses. Fine wares were probably intended for use in the serving of foods and liyuids. while the plain wares were probably used for both cooking and food serving. Another factor that would influence vessel body wall thickness would be the sequence in which a vessel was constructed (Krause 2007:35). Vessels constructed from the bottom up, as these Late Caddo Frankston phase vessels likely were, would tend to have thinner walls moving up the vessel body towards the rim, with the lower portion of the vessel-especially the base-usually significantly thicker than the upper portions of the vessel.

Rim and Lip J<'orms
The plain ware vessels primarily have direct or vertical rims and rounded lip (Table 7), with an occasional vessel (probably a plain carinated bowl) having a rounded and exterior folded lip. Utility wares, almost all from wide-mouthed jars, have both direct and everted rims, with proportionally more of the latter, with rounded and flat lips. Rims of the tine ware vessels from the ALCOA #I site are almost exclusively direct or vertical in orientation (see Table 7), with the exception of a single inverted rim vessel; inverted rim fine ware vessels are present in both Frankston phase and later Allen phase ceramic assemblages in the upper Neches River basin (cf. Suhm and Jelks 1962). Lips on fine wares are proportionally more common to be either fiat (as seen in bottles and some bowl forms) or rounded and exterior folded (as noted on carinated bowls).
Only a few rims were large enough, or had sufficient curvature, to measure their orifice diameter.  The fine wares range from Hi-32 em in orifice Jiameter, with a mean of 22.X em, indicating that h.trge fine ware vessels were in use at the ALCOA# I site. Utility ware vessels have a similar range in orifice diameter {18-30 em), with a mean orifice diameter of 22.9 em. None of the plain ware rim ~herJs could be measured for orifice diameter.

Pipe Sherds
The seven clay pipe sherds (see Table 2) are from at least five different Late Caddo style elhow pipes with short and rounded stems as well a~ ~quat but broad bowls. Orifice Jiamt:ters on tWO or the pipes range from 3.0-4.0 em. One of the elhow pipes has a row of tool punctations below the lip of the bowl. while the other pipe shcrds are undccorateJ.
bone ( 14'/c), and grog-bone (14%). The pipes are commonly smoothed or burnished on their exterior sutt'accs. although none of them are slipped. More than 70% of the pipe sherds are from pipes that have bt:en fired in a reducing environml'nt. but then cooled in the open air. The \ arying thicknes~ of the pi pc bowls (ranging from 1.8-7.4 mm) from the ALCOA # l site indicate that the elbow pipt:~ were made in at least three siLes. the first with a thin-walkd howl (1 .8 mm). another \Vith a large anJ thick-wallcJ bowl (7.4 mm}, anJ an intermedialt:' hut more common group with a mean bowl thickncs~ of 3.84 ± 0.46 mm.

SU\1!\IAR\
Prehistoric Frankston pbnsc Caddo ceramic \c:-.sel sherds and pipe shcrds dating to the early l5 1 h century A.D. arc abunuant at the ALCOA #I site in the upper Neches River basin. These remains, comprising the fragments of whole vessels and ceramic pipr.:> used either for the producing, storage. preparing. serving, consuming. and disposal of foods or-in tlw case of the clay pipes-the consumption of 5moking products. Based on the archaeological context of the recovered vessel and pipe sherd~. these remains were discarded at a small habitation ~ill'. probably that of one or two households, that most likely was not occupied for more than 1-2 generations. As such, the ceramic vessel and pipe sherd assemblage from the ALCOA #I site provide a glimpse of this aspect of the material culture of a small group of Caddo families living along Mound Prairie Creek.
The ceramic vessel sherds from the ALCOA #l site fall readily into three distinct wares: plain wares, decorated utility wares. and decorated fine wares. Based on the proportion of rim sherds for each of the wares. utility ware vessels used for cooking/food preparation and storage comprise 47% of the vessels used at the site, followed by tine wares (27%) and plain wares (25% ); the fine wares and plain wares (including bottles and carinated bowls) were used primarily for food serving and the containment of liquids. When compared, each ware is slightly different in temper and paste composition from the other, although grog and hematite were the principal tempers (much like other upper Neches River Caddo households, at least in the case of the use of grog temper), firing conditions, rim and lip form, and vessel wall thickness. These differences appear to be related to the different forms and functions of the three wares made and used at the site.
The Frankston phase utility ware ceramic sherds arc from vessels that were most commonly decorated on the rim with (a) diagonal or opposed incised lines (Maydelle Incised, see Suhm and Jelks 1962:Plate 52), (b) rows of tool or fingernail punctates (see Suhm and Jelks 1962:Plate 79a-b). or (c) horizontal or vertical brushing marks (Bullard Brushed, see Suhm and Jelks 1962:Plate 11 ). These vessels-probably cooking jars for the most parttend to have vertical brushing marks on the vessel bodies, regardless of the rim decorative treatment.
Fine wares from the ALCOA #I site, on the other hand. are from bottles and carinated bowls decorated with engraved motifs: a small percentage of these motifs have had a red clay pigment rubbed in the engraved lines. The fine ware sherds are from Poynor Engraved vessels (see Suhm and Jelks 1962:Plates 62 and 63). the principal Frankston phase fine ware type in the upper Neches River basin. These vessels have been well burnished or polished. and the local clays along Mound Prairie Creek that were used turned a rich chocolate brown color when fired in a reducing environment and then allowed to cool in the open air; Frankston phase vessels made from clays available along the Neches River typically turned a reddish-yellow or reddishbrown hue when fired.
In a few cases. it was po.~sible to identify specific varieties of Poynor Engraved in the Al-COA #1 site fine wares. This includes examples of Poynor Engraved, var. Hood (n=3) and var. Lang (n=4) rim sherds. Given the 15th century A.D. age of the site, it is possible to speculate that these are early varieties of Poynor Engraved, or at least were distinct stylistic varieties of Poynor Engraved that began to he used in the JSth century A.D. Additional radiocarbon dates from the site may clarify the age of these Poynor Engraved varieties, as will radiocarbon dates and the completion of detailed ceramic stylistic analyses from other Frankston phase Caddo sites in the upper Neches River basin.
All of the pipe shcrds are from elbow pipes. Their frequency at the ALCOA #I site suggests that family or community-wide traditions and rituals involving pipes and the smoking of tobacco and other types of plants were alive and well in this particular Caddo household or households. These traditions and rituals were shared with other Caddo families and households across the upper Neches River basin, based on close stylistic and technological similarities in the form, manufacture. and decoration of the clay elbow pipes.