A form and function study of precontact pottery from Atlantic Canada

Pottery is an ubiquitous feature of the Woodland period (c. 500 B.C. to A.D.1500) in northeastern North America. Mobile hunter-gatherer populations in this region used pottery containers despite their fragile nature. Although much work has been done on pottery design, vessel form and function are regrettably under-studied due to the small number of vessels suitable for analysis. Through a detailed analysis of near-complete vessels and sizeable rim sherds from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Western Newfoundland we can begin to see variation in pottery form throughout time, as well as across the region. Once vessel form is established we can begin to address the issue of vessel function and gain a broader perspective as to how these pots were used. Although there is still much work to be done, this research can serve as a starting point to uncover more about the role(s) of pottery among precontact hunter-gatherer populations