Weeden Island Ware was a ceramic series that is commonly seen by people walking the beaches in Florida, southern Louisiana, and southwestern Arkansas; it dates back to 500~1100 A.D. One of the largest pieces found by a beach walker was 3 inches with the Weeden Island decoration still visible, though it was well eroded.  This pottery was very incisive and delicately painted with exquisite carvings, though it is hard to find pieces that are well preserved today. Gordon Willey divided Weeden Island culture into Weeden Island I and Weeden Island II.  Weeden Island I was identified by the lack of check stamping and the Swift Creek Stamped type pottery, where as Weeden Island II consisted of virtually no stamping that was complicated.

 The utility ware was very plain and undecorated because it was used in everyday life. Plain Weeden Island pottery includes bowls, multi-conpartmented or co-joined vessels, single and double globed jars, and pedestaled zoomorphic pottery.  Plain Weeden Island pottery can also be identified by the shards of it found that have rims; some folded, others wedge-shaped. It also consists of a variety of jars that are globular, cazuela and open bowls. There were also a few cylindrical vessels, such as plates and some uncommon forms.  Red Paint decorated these special types.  The also had motifs with geometric figures, animals, and plants. Some Weeden Island Ware is considered the most excellent someone could find in a museum, with its artisitc pot shapes and delicate carvings.

References:

Flowers, Sylvia.  Macon Plateau’s Georgia Contemporaries. http://www.nps.gov/ocmu/Georgia.htm

Howard, Frank and Sapronetti, Susan H.  Shell Point. Sept. 4, 1993.  http://www.polaris.net/~rblacks/fdh/shell-point.htm

by, Daniele Deibert