Middle Woodland ceramics have been classified as Havana, Hopewell and Middle Woodland. The Havana Tradition marks the beginning of the Middle Woodland Period, taking place from 300 BCE - 500 ACE. The increase of pottery found in this period constitutes a great advance in the cultures of the time. They represent advances in the making of pottery, such as how the pottery is actually manufactured and with which materials, the different forms the pottery takes and possible uses, and the artistic development in terms of style of the vessels.
Pottery from the Middle Woodland Period is characterized with distinctive cord impression or other decorative designs made using a flat paddle-like tool. Because the cord-impressed technique is also an Old World characteristic, some say that it is possible that this technique was introduced to the New World from either northeast Asia or Europe. The Havana tradition is described as the initial start of the early Hopewell tradition, largely known for its distinctive pottery and burial mounds.
Havana ware has been found in the Wabash Valley, from the mouth of the White River, north into Tippecanoe County, and up the white into Greene County and surrounding area-primarily centered in the Illinois River Valley, but also found in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is generally known to be made thick and course with abundant grit tempering, cord-marked and plain, with bosses and corded lips, distinctive stamping, and incised and punctuated designs that are easily recognized throughout the region. As newer techniques began to be brought to the region, the pottery adapted, producing the Havana Hopewell collection. Havana Hopewell pottery can be described as a nice mix of the two forms, short rimmed and flat based, sand and grit tempered, and decorated with complicated stamping, rocker stamping, incising, and repeated patterns.
French, Shawn and Julie A. Morgan (Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University) "An Early Woodland Ceramic Chronology for the Lower Ohio Valley." 1987. Last access on 10/15/99.
Kellar, James H. (Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University) "The Woodland Tradition:part 1 of 2 (pp. 35-51)." 1996. Last access 10/15/99.
http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/abstracts/87/french_87.html
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Min, K. "Ceramics at the Elizabeth Site Pike, Illinois." Last Access on 10/15/99. http://www.avoca.k12.il.us/mariemurphy/moundbuilders/elizabethsite.html
Written by: Jessica Miller