Native American Cooking Pot

This woodland-era pot, dating to 2,000 years ago, was used by early Native Americans as a cooking pot. It was excavated by students in the Anthropology class at Scott High School. The students found 75% of the pot and sent it to the University of Tennessee to have it carbon-dated and reassembled. Not all of the pieces were found, as evidenced by the modern clay used to fill up the holes in the pot. The woodland era began around 1,000 B.C. and ended 1,000 A.D. Pottery during this time period is very simple and has check-stamping instead of handles. Check stamping is when the Native Americans would take a vine-wrapped paddle and would put indentations into the wet clay used to grip the finished pot when it was greasy or wet.

Detail showing check stamping on the pot displayed at the museum.

Drawing from the book Tribes That Slumber which is published by the University of Tennessee. The drawing shows a pot similar to the one at the museum.

Drawing from the book Tribes That Slumber published by the University of Tennessee. This drawing shows how Native Americans manufactured pots similar to the one found in Scott County.

Various forms of check stamping found on pots from the Woodland Era.

Information and pictures two and three taken from Tribes That Slumber by Lewis and Madeline Kneburg