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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;2manybooks, post: 4293447, member: 8267&quot;]The pot may have been decorated, but if we cannot see the pattern there are no stylistic clues we can use to help determine origin.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Coiling is a widely used method of constructing pottery, appearing in traditional societies all over the world. It is not unique to Native American pottery.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finishing a pot on a wheel can also leave lines on the surface. As the potter smooths the surface with their hands, or a cloth or sponge, small bits may be dragged along, leaving lines that spiral up the surface. Most coil built pottery is finished by wiping, paddling or scraping to create a smooth surface, removing most signs of the underlying coils, although there are some Native American ceramics that left closely spaced coils as a corrugated decorative feature.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Pottery made on a wheel may have some variation, but in general is more symmetrical than one built by hand.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A clay body is composed of a variety of materials, some of which may be more absorbent and/or may react differently to firing conditions. The black specs inside the pot might be a result of the firing conditions. When access to air is uneven during firing, localized &quot;reducing&quot; conditions may be created where the oxygen is reduced or depleted. Such conditions might be expected inside of a vessel, depending on how the pots were stacked in the fire/kiln. All or some components of the clay may turn black under reducing conditions, while the same components may turn red when oxygen is freely available.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another possible explanation for the black specs is a differential reaction to something that was put into the pot when it was in use.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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