Moyaone
Defining Attributes
Moyaone is a Late Woodland ware, characterized
by fine grained sand and mica temper, soft texture, compact paste,
and smoothed interior and exterior surfaces. Defined types include
Moyaone Plain, Moyaone Cord-Impressed, and Moyaone Incised.
Chronology
Stratigraphic sequences and radiometric dating
indicate that Moyaone ceramics date from ca. A.D. 1300 – A.D. 1650.
Distribution
Moyaone is found throughout the Western Shore
Coastal Plain of Maryland.
Description
Paste/Temper
The paste is composed of a fine-grained and compact clay and has
a soft, smooth, andcompact texture. The temper consists of an extremely
fine-grained sand containing minute particles of mica, and occasionally
some added crushed quartz. The sand gives it a gritty feel and the
mica produces a slight glitter. Moyaone has a Moh’s scale hardness
of 2.0 – 2.5. Color varies from an oxidized light gray to gray-brown,
but can range from almost black through brown, gray and reddish-buff
to tan.
Surface Treatment
Exterior surfaces are cord-marked or smoothed over cord-marked.
Marks are usually vertical to the rim but horizontal, diagonal,
or criss-crossed marks have been found. Interior surfaces are smoothed,
but vertical and horizontal striations have been found.
Decoration
Moyaone Plain is undecorated. Decorations on Moyaone Cord-Impressed
are simple and confined to the rim and lip area. They are stamped,
rolled onto the vessel, or applied as a single cord, horizontal,
vertical, or diagonal to the rim. Decorations on Moyaone Incised
are confined to the lip, rim, and upper body area, and consist of
incised lines made with a sharp tool, a wide, dull tool, or rarely
with a curved tool such as a fingernail. Designs are far more complex
than on Moyaone Cord-Marked, and include horizontal lines, chevrons,
crosshatching, and random lines.
Morphology
Moyaone is coil-constructed with paddle malleated or smoothed surfaces.
Vessels are small to medium in size with globular, hemispherical,
or cylindrical bodies. Bases are rounded. Lips are rounded, flattened,
or wedge-shaped, and occasionally cord-marked. Rims are everted,
inverted, or straight with a constricted neck. Occasionally a strip
of clay is added around the rim to thicken it. Vessel wall thickness
ranges from 5 mm – 10 mm but is usually 6 – 8 mm. Rims range from
10 mm – 12 mm. Maximum diameters are usually 8 cm – 12 cm, and depths
10 cm – 15 cm.
Defined in the Literature
Moyaone was originally defined as Potomac Creek Sand Tempered by
Karl Schmitt from pottery recovered at the Potomac Creek site (44ST2).
Stephenson later renamed and formally defined Moyaone from pottery
recovered at the Accokeek Creek site (18PR8) in Prince George’s
County, Maryland. He defined the three types, Moyaone Incised, Moyaone
Cord-Impressed, and Moyaone Plain (Stephenson et al. 1963). Some
researchers (e.g. Potter 1993:123) have suggested returning to the
idea that Moyaone is just a variety of Potomac Creek and does not
deserve a type name.
Type Site
Accokeek Creek (18PR8)
Radiocarbon
Dates |
Date |
Sample
# |
Site |
Feature |
Reference |
640 + 50;
A.D. 1310 |
DIC-1768 |
White
Oak Point
(44WM119) |
|
Waselkov
1982 |
640 + 50;
A.D. 1310 |
DIC-1764 |
White Oak Point
(44WM119) |
|
Waselkov 1982 |
490 + 45;
A.D. 1460 |
DIC-1766 |
White Oak Point
(
44WM119) |
|
Waselkov 1982 |
References
Egloff and Potter
1982; Dent
and Jirikowic 2001; Potter
1993; Stephenson
et al. 1963; Waselkov
1982 |