Coles Creek Incised type is represented by eight sherds, although it is almost certain that some which are typed as Hardy or Kiam Incised are in reality Coles Creek. In order to be certain of Coles Creek Period wares at this site, I have included in this type only those sherds whose paste characteristics are consistent and which have “overhanging” parallel lines around the rim ([Fig. 6], J) or characteristically placed triangular punctations below the incised lines ([Fig. 6], K). Surfaces are smoothed and are buff or gray in color. The incisions are bold, horizontal, and usually more closely spaced than in Davis Incised. The subjacent triangles on four sherds are pressed into the paste more deeply at the apex. It must be pointed out that it is not a simple task, in studying sherds from northern Louisiana, to distinguish the four related types which are characterized by parallel incisions around the rim—Davis Incised, Coles Creek Incised, Hardy Incised, and Kiam Incised—unless the technique and paste are characteristic or a large part of the vessel available. Much overlapping occurs.
Fig. 6. Incised Sherds. A-E, Davis Incised (A resembles high rim of jars which are frequent in Haley pottery). F, G, Sanson Incised. H, I, Mazique Incised. J, K, Coles Creek Incised. L-Q, Kiam or Hardy Incised (note outer lip notching or punctations on L-N, also suspension hole and subjacent hemiconical punctation on O, almost certainly Hardy Incised).
One hundred and seventy four sherds from this site are included in type Kiam Incised or Hardy Incised ([Fig. 6], L-Q). No attempt shall be made to distinguish between these types, but the problem will be pointed out and resolution left for future conferences. These sherds are characterized by parallel incised lines covering the rim or upper part of the vessel. Fortunately, there are four complete vessels from the burials ([Fig. 4], D-G) which are typical Kiam Incised (Suhm and Jelks, 1962: 89, Pl. 45) and established the presence of this type. Vessel 106 ([Fig. 4], D) is a heavy, thick-walled cylindrical jar with a slightly recurved and rounded lip. It is 11 cm. high, 10.6 cm. in diameter, clay tempered, and dark reddish-brown in color. Decoration consists of numerous scratchy incisions covering the upper 3 cm.; it is plain below this zone. Vessel 133 ([Fig. 4], E) is a jar with narrow excurvate rim and semiglobular body. It is 12 cm. in height and in greatest width, and is clay tempered, with irregular light and dark gray surface color. The rim has three to four irregular, wavy incised lines which are not continuous; the body is covered with vertical, firm incisions spaced 4 to 7 mm. apart. Vessel 94 ([Fig. 4], F) is a firm, intact, well made cylindrical jar, clay tempered, with dark gray-brown surface color except for a few light fire clouds. The upper 2.5 cm. has irregular horizontal incisions, 5 to 7 in number, and the remaining body exterior is covered with fingernail punctations, spaced rather regularly but not in exact rows. Vessel 134 ([Fig. 4], G) is a jar with semiglobular body, narrowed toward the rim, which is vertical. The clay tempered paste is softer than the other three vessels and is fired black over the exterior, dark gray on the interior. It is 11 cm. high, 14 cm. wide. Decoration consists of five firmly incised lines around the rim exterior, spaced 3 to 5 mm. apart, and paired fingernail punctations or pinches covering the body. These vessels demonstrate the three most frequent body treatment techniques described for the Kiam Incised type.
The 174 sherds present more variation, and include 82 rim pieces. Temper is clay-grit or ground sherd except for five which are bone tempered. The surface colors cover the range of tan, buff, yellow-orange, light to dark gray, reddish-brown and black; the light colors predominate. Interior and exterior surfaces are smoothed. Wall thickness is 5 to 10 mm., averaging 6.5 to 7 mm. The rim sherds show that about half have excurvate rims, ¼ to ⅕ of the vertical, and the others slant outward. Five have a row of punctations or notches on the rim exterior ([Fig. 6], L-N), and one has transverse incisions on a flat lip. The lips are more often rounded, but about ¼ are flat; thinning may occur but not thickening.
The incising varies from thin scratchy lines made with a pointed tool, to rough and irregular ([Fig. 6], Q), to firm, well made and regular ([Fig. 6], L, M, P). The number of lines varies from two to 20 and the spacing from two to 10 mm. apart, often varying on the same sherd. Generally they are placed at 3 to 5 mm. intervals. Although most were produced with a pointed tool, a few were made with a blunt or square-tipped tool. Five have hemiconical or oval punctations below the last line ([Fig. 6], O).
These characteristics as a unit do not fit either Kiam or Hardy Incised types. The predominant shape, with everted or excurvate rim is more like Kiam, as are bone tempering, and either punctated bodies (two vessels, two sherds) or vertical incising on bodies (one vessel, two sherds). The paste and surface coloration are more like Hardy Incised (except for the five with bone temper), as are the subjacent punctations ([Fig. 6], O), occasional stabs or punctations at the ends of lines (in central Louisiana, this occurs more often in Yokena and French Fork Incised than in Hardy), plain bodies (one vessel, five sherds), cutting away of the body wall just below the incisions ([Fig. 4], D), and flattened lips. Not described for either Kiam or Hardy types are notched or incised lips, vertical rows of plowed-up paste where the incisions meet ([Fig. 6], L) or narrow undecorated gaps at this junction, which occur on a number of the Smithport sherds. The conclusion seems obvious that Kiam Incised, Hardy Incised and the similar wares from this area are local or regional variations of a single widespread type.
The Dunkin Incised type presents the same problem. Although the sherds assigned to this type have more similarities to type Dunkin Incised than to any other, there are some similarities to Mazique and Manchac Incised types of central Louisiana, and some items which differ from all of these types. Again, regional or temporal variations of a single type are indicated and should be subjected to study.
There are 117 sherds of Dunkin Incised which show incising in varying directions ([Fig. 7], A-L), usually including diagonal lines, and 65 sherds ([Fig. 7], O-R) which show only diagonal lines but are also assigned to Dunkin. Thirty of the former group and 25 of the latter are rim sherds. Paste characteristics, color, and wall thickness are the same as those described for Kiam Incised. The majority of the rim sherds indicate everted or excurvate shapes, possibly a fourth are direct and vertical, none incurvate. Indicated vessel shapes are semiglobular jars with flaring rims, similar jars with narrowing at the neck and vertical or slightly everted rims, cylindrical vessels, and simple deep bowls. Lips are usually narrowed by outward curving of the interior wall, but may be rounded or occasionally flattened. There are no nodes or handles, and only one rim shows notching.
Incisions are generally bolder than in the Kiam Incised type, spaced 3 to 8 mm. apart, and seldom smoothed over. On the 117 sherds with lines in varying directions, 52 were made with a round-tipped tool, 47 with a pointed tool, 16 with square-tipped, and two with forked tool ([Fig. 7], D). In the instance of the rim sherds with diagonal incising, 17 of the 25 slant downward from right to left ([Fig. 7], P-R), eight from left to right ([Fig. 7], O). The lines may produce diamonds ([Fig. 7], C), triangles ([Fig. 7], A, D, J), chevrons ([Fig. 7], B) or, rarely, squares ([Fig. 7], I). Hemiconical or oval punctations are placed in a single row below the incising in two instances ([Fig. 7], L), above in one ([Fig. 7], E). The trait of making firm punctations at the ends of the lines ([Fig. 7], F, H-J) is more frequent than in type Kiam Incised, and gaps are left at times ([Fig. 7], F). One sherd ([Fig. 7], P) has a wide, smoothed band interrupting the previously placed incisions below the lip. The numerous body or rim-body sherds which show fields of varying incising more nearly resemble Dunkin Incised from the Davis Site in having full body decoration than the central Louisiana Manchac and Mazique types, where the decoration is usually confined to a narrow rim band.