Figure 15. Water Bottles
DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON
As a check against interpretation and as a means of getting an idea of possible relationships of the Neeley’s Ferry Plain vessels found elsewhere, each vessel was taken up separately. The procedure used consisted first in describing the vessel, and secondly any comparisons that could be made.
The vessels were roughly classified and then evaluated in order. First was a broken water bottle that has had an angular ring base which has a fillet at the base of the neck. The body is sub-globular, tending toward carination but not enough so that there was agreement that it is carinated (No. 75 found with burial 21). A similar vessel is shown by Griffin (1952, p. 320) and is identified with the New Madrid focus. Griffin (1952, plate 124K) shows a vessel that is similar coming from the St. Francis area. Williams (1956) in his thesis, has included the New Madrid Focus in the Cairo Lowland which he notes as a Phase. Another similar vessel is a Neely’s Ferry Plain bottle coming from Monette, Arkansas (Phillips, et al., 1951, Fig. 105, F). It seems from the references that this particular vessel is relatively typical of the St. Francis Malden Plain area but could have some relationship to the Cairo Lowland area.
Another water bottle has an annular ring base that is perforated (No. 189, burial 35). The body is sub-globular and is definitely carinated. The neck is long and flares at the opening and the vessel surface is burnished. It is classed as Neeley’s Ferry Plain due to the prevalence of large flakes of shell which show on the surface. It is comparable to a vessel figured in Phillips, et. al., (1951, Fig. 103f) noted as a Neeley’s Ferry or Bell Plain bottle that comes from the St. Francis River near Monette, Arkansas.
The next bottle (F. S. 60 with burial 17) has a globular body, a long neck and flares slightly at the opening. The base is flat. It is a Neeley’s Ferry Plain vessel. The overall bottle shape seems to be a generalized one and none could be found with which it compared very thoroughly. A similar Neeley’s Ferry Plain water bottle (F. S. 88 with burial 24) also has an almost globular body with a flat base but this vessel has a fillet at the base of the neck and the neck is slightly flaring. A vessel somewhat similar to this is figured on plate 3 of Potter and Evers (1880) in the center at the top of the page. The vessel shown came from southeastern Missouri. A broken water bottle (F. S. 406, house 2), was associated with the fireplace in house two. It compares very favorably with specimen number 60 but is somewhat carinated similar to specimen number 75. The neck is missing. A Neeley’s Ferry Plain long necked water bottle (F. S. 81, burial 23), has a globular body but has a flat base which extends from the body and is similar in external appearance to an annular ring base. The neck contracts toward the opening and has a slightly smaller diameter at the opening. The body shape and base are somewhat similar to Keno Trailed shown in the Belcher Mound report plate 112 A through D (Webb, 1959). The neck shape is similar to Sanders Plain (Suhm, et. al., 1954). The neck shape also approaches that of the Spiro Engraved (Baerreis, 1957, pl. 64, A, D, F, G and H). However, the neck does not contract as much at the opening. It appears that this neck shape may be derived from or at least be related to the neck shapes in the Caddo area.
A broken water bottle or a jar (FS 118, burial 27) is not readily identifiable as to exact form. The body of the vessel is sub-globular and the base is somewhat rounded. Perhaps it was a short necked vessel. A short necked (FS 76, burial 22) Neeley’s Ferry Plain jar is broken. It is a sub-globular shaped vessel with a flat base that is very similar in body shape to vessel number 60. Another short necked water bottle (FS 39, burial 15) has a globular body with a flattened and depressed base. This compares with a Neeley’s Ferry vessel (Phillips, et. al., 1951: Fig. 104A) from Cross county, Arkansas. There is some uncertainty concerning the type base on this vessel. Another specimen (FS 191, burial 34) is a short necked water bottle that has a sub-globular body and a depressed base. It is similar to field specimen 39 but the body is not quite as globular.
A very unusual vessel, also Neeley’s Ferry Plain (FS 418), was found associated with house 3. It is a water bottle form but has two strap handles ([Fig. 15];5). It is somewhat similar to a vessel from Cross county, Arkansas (Phillips, et. al., 1951: Fig. 93D). The latter has a much wider opening and the body is much more globular.
The next group of vessels consists of plates and bowls. An Old Town Red plate or bowl (FS 119, burial 27) is painted both inside and out. It has a flat disk bottom. The one vessel that it seems to compare with in general shape is a Sanders Plain (Suhm, et. al., 1954; pl. 60, D) which is of a different temper but is partly red filmed. A plate or shallow bowl has approximately the same shape as that of the Old Town Red but is Neeley’s Ferry Plain (FS 313, burial 37). It seems to be in the same tradition because the lip is flattened in the same manner as the Old Town Red plate. The rims on these plates are indistinct, grading into the bowl wall. The other plate form (FS 145, house 1) is not quite as well done as the two previously described but is approximately the same shape and has the same characteristics. It is also a Neeley’s Ferry Plain plate and is much like the two preceding except it is larger than the others. An example of a plate that is somewhat similar in shape and which is red filmed or red painted, and thus an Old Town Red vessel, is shown in Evers (1880: pl. 17, Fig. 173).