Middle Woodland (A.D. 50 - A.D. 950)

During the Middle Woodland there was an increase in the range of subsistence economies along the Bay and the major coastal rivers. At the same time, there was a continued expansion of long-distance trade and communication. For example raw materials, such as rhyolite from west of the Monocacy drainage, were used in large quantities in the coastal plain. During this time period crushed rock-tempered ceramics like Watson were made in the Western regions of Maryland, showing growing connections with groups in central Pennsylvania and Western Virginia. On the Coastal Plain, the shell-tempered Mockley ware became dominant pottery.

Watson: Middle Woodland ware characterized by a crushed limestone temper and cord-marked exterior. Defined types have traditionally included Watson Cordmarked and Watson Plain.  Exterior surfaces are cord-marked, plain, and, in rare instances, incised. Cord-marking is usually vertical from the lip to the base. The exterior surfaces are smoothed.

Mockley: Middle Woodland ware, characterized by crushed shell-tempering and net-impressed or cord-marked exterior surfaces, a clayey texture, and medium to large vessels. Defined types include Mockley Net-Impressed, Mockley Cord-Marked, and Mockley Plain. Exterior surfaces are usually net-impressed or cord-marked, and less frequently smoothed-over.

Additional and more extensive information can be obtained for these time periods from the following sources:

Curry and Kavanagh 1991; Custer 1983, 1989, 1996; Dent 1995; Gardner 1982; Herbert 1994; Hughes 1980; Kavanagh 1982; Kavanagh and Ebright 1988; Reeve and Seigel 1994; Steponaitis 1980; Wall 1993b, 2001; Wanser 1982.