Index of Texas Archaeology: Belcher Engraved

Type definition

Adapted from Suhm and Jelks (1962:154-155, Plate 78).

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

Coiled.

PASTE

Temper: None visible, or occasionally fine shell or tuff particles although these are seldom abundant enough to suggest intentional addition to the clay.
Texture: Fine, compact.
Color: Mahogany brown to black but shading off into dark gray-browns; buff or reddish-brown occasionally. Cores darker than surfaces. Mottling.
Surface finish: Smoothed to well polished. Bowls same on exterior and interior; bottles not smoothed at all inside, polished outside.

FORM

Wall thickness
: Three to six mm.
Lip
: Rounded, direct on most bowls, turned outward on bottles and some bowls.
Base: Convex to slightly concave on bowls; convex to slightly flattened on bottles.
Vessel shape and size: Webb and Dodd (1941, pp 90-96, Plates 15, 16) first described the type with 15 sub-types more or less equivalent to a variety of shapes. Most of these are not now regarded as included in this type but are assigned to others such as Hodges Engraved, Glassell Engraved, and Taylor Engraved. Most common are bottles and small bowls with rounded bottom, narrow shoulder bent upward and inward at a sharp angle, and rim bent outward again to about same angle as body below shoulder. A third form, less common, has a rounded bottom, high sides slanted inward, and a low rim bent outward. Other forms may be added eventually. Bottles may reach a height of 25 cm; bowls have diameters of 10 - 28 cm.

DECORATION

Treatment
: Engraving, punctating.
Designs
: On the narrow shoulder area they are much like Simms Engraved except that at each of the four points where the pattern is repeated there is a small node jutting straight out from the edge of the shoulder. In addition the rim is decorated with from one to three encircling lines and one or two rows of engraved dashed lines or tiny punctations cut through the finished surface. Four tiny lobes may appear on the lip, directly above the nodes on the shoulder. Bottle designs also consistently show short dashed lines between concentric circles and flower or star-like elements in the center of each of the four sets of concentric circles. Both white and red pigments occur in the designs.

CULTURAL AFFILIATIONS

A Belcher Focus type, with trade pieces found in Texarkana Focus components. Some vessels were made by the easternmost Titus Focus people. The dark colors, good polish, and both the dashed lines and the punctations show affinities with Barkman Engraved and Simms Engraved of the Texarkana Focus.