There are nine plain vessels (Fig. 4, A, B, K-P, R) from the burials and
644 plain sherds from this site which apparently relate to the earlier
ceramics. The vessels, all identified as _Smithport Plain_, include
three bottles, four simple bowls, one carinated bowl, and one recurved
jar. _Smithport Plain_ therefore runs the gamut of vessel forms common
to decorated types; cylindrical jar forms are included in the sherds.
The 644 plain sherds include 65 rim sherds (the only definite
_Smithport_ sherds), one-fourth as many as the total rim sherds in the
decorated types and exceeded only by _Kiam Incised_ with 82 rim sherds.
The total number of plain sherds in our collection is altered by the
element of selectivity in surface collecting; we were less likely to
save plain sherds unless they were large or were rim sherds. The
frequency of plain wares at this period contrasts with the situation in
the later Bossier and Belcher ceramics, where undecorated vessels are
infrequent. For example, at the Belcher Site (Webb, 1959) there were
only nine plain vessels among the total of 195, and plain sherds
constituted only 44 per cent of total sherds (most of these were from
undecorated portions of decorated vessels).
The 65 _Smithport Plain_ rims include 15 which are everted, 26 vertical,
and 18 incurvate; additionally there are rims from two simple, shallow
bowls, one rim with an exterior roll, one everted rim with interior
bevel and exterior strap thickening, one bottle spout, and one shallow
toy dish. The everted rims are unmodified in seven instances, and
thinned in eight with rounded lips. Lip thinning of everted rims was
effected by exaggerating the outward curve of the rim interior; that of
incurvate bowls by exaggerating the exterior curve. The vertical rims
are unmodified with rounded lips in 12 instances, thinned and rounded in
eight, flat in four, and have beveled exteriors in two. The incurvate
rims are thinned with rounded lips in nine, unmodified with rounded lips
in five, flattened lips in two, externally beveled in one, and thickened
with rounding in one.
The plain sherds include 20 recognizable as bases, nine of which are
complete flat discs. These range from 6 to 13 cm. in diameter and are 6
to 12 mm. thick. One large basal sherd has a smooth central perforation,
13 mm. in diameter, and rounded edges. It possibly was used as a spindle
whorl. These are frequently found at Bossier and Belcher sites, but
usually are smaller and lighter.
An additional 46 plain sherds show the wall-base junction. Eight of
these are from open flat bowls, one from a deeper bowl, one from a
bottle, four from miniature vessels and 32 from jar, deep bowl or
cylindrical vessel forms.
The plain sherds have paste characteristics similar to the decorated
types already described. Nine of the 644 sherds are bone tempered.