,bibliothque nationale de ,france 7,bn,f_/,gallica7 at http3_/_/gallica4bnf4fr4 ,,smithsonian ,,institution--,,bureau ,,of ,,ethnology4 ,,prehistoric ,,textile ,,fabrics ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,derived ,,from ,,impressions ,,on ,,pottery4 by ,,william ,h4 ,,holmes4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents4 ,page4 ,introductory #cig ,first ,group #dja ,second ,group #djd ,third ,group #dac ,fourth ,group #daf ,fifth ,group #dag ,sixth ,group #dah ,miscellaneous #dbj ,,illustrations4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,in the original text1 the position of illustrations was determined by available page space4 ,for this e-text1 each figure caption has been placed directly after the paragraph describing the figure4 ,figure #hh1 which shared a caption with ,figure #hi1 has been shifted down to join ,figure #ij4 ,the captions are identical except for number4 ,plate ,,xxxix4--,pottery1 with impressions of textile fabrics #cig ,fig4 #fj4--;,cord-marked vessel1 ,great ,britain #cii #fa4--;,cord and fabric marked vessel1 ,pennsylvania #djj #fb4--;,combination of threads in coffee sacking #dja #fc4--,section of same #dja #fd4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,new ,york #djb #fe4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,district of ,columbia #djb #ff4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,arizona #djb #fg4--;,fabric from the caves of ,kentucky #djc #fh4--;,fabric from the ,swiss ,lake ,dwellings #djc #fi4--;,fabric from a mound in ,ohio #djc #gj4--;,fabric from a mound in ,ohio #djc #ga4--,section of the same #djc #gb4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #dje #gc4--,section of same #dje #gd4--;,diagram showing method of weaving #dje #ge4--;,device for making the twist #djf #gf4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #djf #gg4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,georgia #djg #gh4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #djg #gi4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #djh #hj4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #djh #ha4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,arkansas #djh #hb4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,illinois #dji #hc4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,illinois #daj #hd4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,missouri #daj #he4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #daj #hf4--;,fabric from a copper celt1 ,iowa #daa #hg4--;,fabric from ,vancouver's ,island #dab #hh4--;,fabric from the ,lake ,dwellings of ,switzerland #dab #hi4--;,fabric from the ,lake ,dwellings of ,switzerland #dab #ij4--;,fabric from the ,lake ,dwellings of ,switzerland #dac #ia4--,section of third form of fabric #dad #ib4--;,device for weaving same #dad #ic4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #dad #id4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #dad #ie4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #dad #if4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #dae #ig4--;,fabric from the ,northwest coast #dae #ih4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee #daf #ii4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,alabama #daf #ajj4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,iowa #dag #aja4--,plaiting of an ancient sandal #dag #ajb4--;,braiding done by the ,lake ,dwellers #dah #ajc4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,district of ,columbia #dai #ajd4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,north ,carolina #dai #aje4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,north ,carolina #dbj #ajf4--,net from the ,lake ,dwellings #dbj #ajg4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey #dba #ajh4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey #dba #aji4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey #dbb #aaj4--;,fabric from the ancient pottery of ,pennsylvania #dbb #aaa4--;,impression on the ancient pottery of ,ohio #dbc #aab4--;,impression on the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey #dbc #aac4--;,impression on the ancient pottery of ,alabama #dbc #aad4--;,impression on the ancient pottery of ,maryland #dbd #aae4--;,impression on the ancient pottery of ,alabama #dbe ,illustration3 ,,bureau ,,of ,,ethnology ,,annual ,,report #ahhb ,,pl4 ,,xxxix #a4 ,,potsherd4 #b4 ,,clay ,,cast4 #c4 ,,potsherd4 #d4 ,,clay ,,cast4 #e4 ,,potsherd4 #f4 ,,clay ,,cast4 ,a4 ,hoen ,co4 ,litho99illegible991 ,baltimore4 ,,pottery ,,with ,,impressions ,,of ,,textile ,,fabrics4 ,,prehistoric ,,textile ,,fabrics ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states1 ,,derived ,,from ,,impressions ,,on ,,pottery4 ,by ,w4 ,h4 ,holmes4 ,,introductory4 ,it is not my intention in this paper to make an exhaustive study of the art of weaving as practiced by the ancient peoples of this country4 ,to do this would necessitate a very extended study of the materials used and of the methods of preparing them1 as well as of the arts of spinning and weaving practiced by primitive peoples generally4 ,this would be a very wide field1 and one which ,i have no need of entering4 ,i may state here1 however1 that the materials used by savages in weaving their simple fabrics consist generally of the fibre of bark1 flax1 hemp1 nettles1 and grasses1 which is spun into thread of various sizes2 or of splints of wood1 twigs1 roots1 vines1 porcupine quills1 feathers1 and a variety of animal tissues1 either plaited or used in an untwisted state4 ,the articles produced are mats1 baskets1 nets1 bags1 plain cloths1 and entire garments1 such as capes1 hats1 belts1 and sandals4 ,it has been noticed by a few authors that twisted or plaited cords1 as well as a considerable variety of woven fabrics1 have been used by primitive tribes in the manufacture and ornamentation of pottery4 ,impressions of these made in the soft clay are frequently preserved on very ancient ware1 the original fabrics having long since crumbled to dust4 ,it is to these that ,i propose calling attention1 their restoration having been successfully accomplished in many hundreds of cases by taking impressions in clay from the ancient pottery4 ,the perfect manner in which the fabric in all its details of plaiting1 netting1 and weaving can be brought out is a matter of astonishment2 the cloth itself could hardly make all the particulars of its construction more manifest4 ,the examples presented in the accompanying plate will be very instructive1 as the fragment of pottery is given on the left1 with its rather obscure intaglio impressions1 and the clay cast on the right with the cords of the fabric in high relief4 ,the great body of illustrations have been made in pen directly from the clay impressions1 and1 although details are more distinctly shown than in the specimens themselves1 ,i believe that nothing is presented that cannot with ease be seen in the originals4 ,alongside of these restorations ,i have placed illustrations of fabrics from other primitive sources4 ,there appears to be a pretty general impression that baskets of the ordinary rigid character have been extensively used by our ancient peoples in the manufacture of pottery to build the vessel in or upon2 but my investigations tend to show that such is not the case1 and that nets or sacks of pliable materials have been almost exclusively employed4 ,these have been applied to the surface of the vessel1 sometimes covering the exterior entirely1 and at others only the body or a part of the body4 ,the interior surface is sometimes partially decorated in the same manner4 ,the nets or other fabrics used have generally been removed before the vessel was burned or even dried4 ,professor ,wyman1 in speaking casually of the cord-marked pottery of ,tennessee1 says3 ,it seems incredible that even an ,indian would be so prodigal of time and labor as to make the necessary quantity of well-twisted cord or thread1 and weave it into shape for the mere purpose of serving as a mold which must be destroyed in making a single copy4 ,this remark is1 however1 based upon a false assumption4 ,the fact that the net or fabric has generally been removed while the clay was still soft being susceptible of easy proof4 ,i have observed in many cases that handles and ornaments have been added1 and that impressed and incised designs have been made in the soft clay after the removal of the woven fabric2 besides this there would be no need of the support of a net after the vessel had been fully finished and slightly hardened4 ,furthermore1 ,i have no doubt that these textilia were employed as much for the purpose of enhancing the appearance of the vessel as for supporting it during the process of construction4 ,i have observed1 in relation to this point1 that in a number of cases1 notably the great salt vessels of ,saline ,river1 ,illinois1 the fabric has been applied after the vessel was finished4 ,i arrive at this conclusion from having noticed that the loose threads of the net-like cover sag or festoon toward the rim as if applied to the inverted vessel1 ,fig4 #hb4 ,if the net had been used to suspend the vessel while building1 the threads would necessarily have hung in the opposite direction4 ,in support of the idea that ornament was a leading consideration in the employment of these coarse fabrics1 we have the well-known fact that simple cord-markings1 arranged to form patterns1 have been employed by many peoples for embellishment alone4 ,this was a common practice of the ancient inhabitants of ,great ,britain1 as shown by ,jewett4 ,the accompanying cut 7,fig4 #fj7 is copied from his work4#a ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fj4--;,ancient ,british vase with cord ornamentation4 ,footnote #a3 ,jewett1 ,llewellynn3 ,grave mounds and their contents1 p4 #ib4 ,it is a remarkable fact that very few entire cord-marked vessels have been obtained in this country1 although fragments of such are very plentiful4 ,in ,fig4 #fa we have an ancient vase from ,pennsylvania4 ,it presents a combination of net or basket markings and of separate cord-markings4 ,the regularity of the impressions upon the globular body indicates almost unbroken contact with the interior surface of the woven vessel4 ,the neck and rim have apparently received finishing touches by separately impressing cords or narrow bands of some woven fabric4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fa4--;,ancient fabric marked vessel1 ,pennsylvania4 ,many examples show very irregular markings such as might have been made by rolling the plastic vessel irregularly upon a woven surface1 or by molding it in an improvised sack made by tying up the margins of a piece of cloth4 ,it is necessary to distinguish carefully the cord and fabric markings from the stamped designs so common in southern pottery1 as well as from the incised designs1 some of which imitate fabric markings very closely4 ,i shall present at once a selection from the numerous examples of the fabrics restored4 ,for convenience of study ,i have arranged them in six groups1 some miscellaneous examples being added in a seventh group4 ,for comparison1 a number of illustrations of both ancient and modern textiles are presented4 ,in regard to methods of manufacture but little need be said4 ,the appliances used have been extremely simple1 the work in a vast majority of cases having been done by hand4 ,it is probable that in many instances a simple frame has been used1 the threads of the web or warp being fixed at one end and those of the woof being carried through them by the fingers or by a simple needle or shuttle4 ,a loom with a device for carrying the alternate threads of the warp back and forth may have been used1 but that form of fabric in which the threads are twisted in pairs at each crossing of the woof could only have been made by hand4 ,the probable methods will be dwelt upon more in detail as the groups are presented4 ,in verifying the various methods of fabrication ,i have been greatly assisted by ,miss ,kate ,c4 ,osgood1 who has successfully reproduced1 in cotton cord1 all the varieties discovered1 all the mechanism necessary being a number of pins set in a drawing board or frame1 in the form of three sides of a rectangle1 the warp being fixed at one end only and the woof passing back and forth between the lateral rows of pins1 as shown in ,fig4 #gd4 ,,first ,,group4 ,fig4 #fb illustrates a small fragment of an ordinary coffee sack which ,i take as a type of the first group4 ,it is a loosely woven fabric of the simplest construction2 the two sets of threads being interwoven at right angles to each other1 alternate threads of one series passing over and under each of the opposing series as shown in the section1 ,fig4 #fc4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fb4--,type of ,group one--portion of a coffee sack4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fc4--,section4 ,it is a remarkable fact that loosely woven examples of this kind of cloth are rarely1 if ever1 found among the impressions upon clay or in the fabrics themselves where preserved by the salts of copper or by charring4 ,the reason of this probably is that the combination is such that when loosely woven the threads would not remain in place under tension1 and the twisted and knotted varieties were consequently preferred4 ,it is possible that many of the very irregular impressions observed1 in which it is so difficult to trace the combinations of the threads1 are of distorted fabrics of this class4 ,this stuff may be woven by hand in a simple frame1 or by any of the primitive forms of the loom4 ,in most cases1 so far as the impressions upon pottery show1 when this particular combination is employed1 the warp is generally very heavy and the woof comparatively light4 ,this gives a cloth differing greatly from the type in appearance2 and when1 as is usually the case1 the woof threads are beaten down tightly1 obscuring those of the web1 the resemblance to the type is quite lost4 ,examples of this kind of weaving may be obtained from the fictile remains of nearly all the ,atlantic ,states4 ,the specimen presented in ,fig4 #fd was obtained from a small fragment of ancient pottery from the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fd4--;,fabric impressed upon ancient pottery1 ,new ,york4 ,it is generally quite difficult to determine which set of threads is the warp and which the woof4 ,in most cases ,i have preferred to call the more closely placed threads the woof1 as they are readily beaten down by a baton1 whereas it would be difficult to manipulate the warp threads if so closely placed4 ,in the specimen illustrated1 only the tightly woven threads of the woof appear4 ,the impression is not sufficiently distinct to show the exact character of the thread1 but there are indications that it has been twisted4 ,the regularity and prominence of the ridges indicate a strong1 tightly drawn warp4 ,fig4 #fe represents a form of this type of fabric very common in impressions upon the pottery of the ,middle ,atlantic ,states4 ,this specimen was obtained from a small potsherd picked up near ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,the woof or cross-threads are small and uniform in thickness1 and pass alternately over and under the somewhat rigid fillets of the web4 ,the apparent rigidity of these fillets may result from the tightening of the series when the fabric was applied to the plastic surface of the vessel4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fe4--;,from a fragment of ancient pottery1 ,district of ,columbia4 ,i present in ,fig4 #ff the only example of the impression of a woven fabric found by the writer in two summers' work among the remains of the ancient ,cliff-,dwellers4 ,it was obtained from the banks of the ,san ,juan ,river1 in southeastern ,utah4 ,it is probably the imprint of the interior surface of a more or less rigid basket1 such as are to be seen among many of the modern tribes of the ,southwest4 ,the character of the warp cannot be determined1 as the woof1 which has been of moderately heavy rushes or other untwisted1 vegetable fillets1 entirely hides it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ff4--;,from a fragment of ancient ,cliff-house pottery4 ,the caves of ,kentucky have furnished specimens of ancient weaving of much interest4 ,one of these1 a small fragment of a mat apparently made from the fiber of bark1 or a fibrous rush1 is illustrated in ,fig4 #fg4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fg4--;,fabric from a cave in ,kentucky4 ,this simple combination of the web and woof has been employed by all ancient weavers who have left us examples of their work4 ,the specimen given in ,fig4 #fh is the work of the ancient ,lake-,dwellers of ,switzerland4 ,it is a mat plaited or woven of strips of bast1 and was found at ,robenhausen1 having been preserved in a charred state4#b ,keller gives another example of a similar fabric of much finer texture in ,fig4 #h1 ,pl4 ,,cxxxvi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fh4--;,fabric from ,swiss ,lake-,dwellings4 ,footnote #b3 ,keller3 ,lake-,dwellers4 ,fig4 #b1 ,pl4 ,,cxxxiv4 ,an illustration of this form of fabric is given by ,foster1#c and reproduced in ,fig4 #fi4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #fi4--;,cloth from a mound1 ,ohio4 ,footnote #c3 ,foster3 ,prehistoric ,times4 ,in the same place this author presents another form of cloth shown in my ,fig4 #gj4 ,in ,fig4 #ga we have a section of this fabric4 ,these cloths1 with a number of other specimens1 were taken from a mound on the west side of the ,great ,miama ,river1 ,butler ,county1 ,ohio4 ,the fabric in both samples appears to be composed of some material allied to hemp4 ,as his remarks on these specimens1 as well as on the general subject1 are quite interesting1 ,i quote them somewhat at length4 ,the separation between the fibre and the wood appears to have been as thorough and effectual as at this day by the process of rotting and hackling4 ,the thread1 though coarse1 is uniform in size1 and regularly spun4 ,two modes of weaving are recognized3 ,in one1 by the alternate intersection of the warp and woof1 and in the other1 the weft is wound once around the warp1 a process which could not be accomplished except by hand4 ,in the illustration the interstices have been enlarged to show the method of weaving1 but in the original the texture was about the same as that in coarse sail-cloth4 ,in some of the ,butler ,county specimens there is evidently a fringed border4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gj4--;,cloth from a mound1 ,ohio4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ga4--,section4 ,in regard to the second specimen described1 ,i would remark that it is a very unusual form1 no such combination of the parts having come to my notice either in the ancient fabrics themselves or in the impressions on pottery4 ,in a very closely woven cloth it might be possible to employ such a combination1 each thread of the web being turned once around each thread of the woof as shown in ,fig4 #ga2 but certainly it would work in a very unsatisfactory manner in open fabrics4 ,i would suggest that this example may possibly belong to my second group1 which1 upon the surface1 would have a similar appearance4 ,the combination of this form is shown in the section1 ,fig4 #gc4 ,,second ,,group4 ,it is not impossible1 as previously stated1 that open fabrics of the plain type were avoided for the reason that the threads would not remain in place if subjected to tension4 ,a very ingenious method of fixing the threads of open work1 without resorting to the device of knotting has been extensively employed in the manufacture of ancient textiles4 ,the simplest form of cloth in which this combination is used is shown in ,fig4 #gb4 ,this example1 which was obtained from a small fragment of pottery found in ,polk ,county1 ,tennessee1 may be taken as a type4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gb4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gc4--,section4 ,two series of threads are interwoven at right angles1 the warp series being arranged in pairs and the woof singly4 ,at each intersection the pairs of warp threads are twisted half around upon themselves1 inclosing the woof threads and holding them quite firmly1 so that the open mesh is well preserved even when much strained4 ,fabrics of this character have been employed by the ancient potters of a very extended region1 including nearly all the ,atlantic ,states4 ,there are also many varieties of this form1 of fabric resulting from differences in the size and spacing of the threads4 ,these differences are well brought out in the series of illustrations that follow4 ,in regard to the manufacture of this particular fabric1 ,i am unable to arrive at any very definite conclusion4 ,as demonstrated by ,miss ,osgood1 it may be knitted by hand1 the threads of the warp being fixed at one end and the woof at both by wrapping about pegs set in a drawing board or frame1 as shown in the diagram1 ,fig4 #gd4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gd4--;,diagram showing the method of weaving ,form #b4 ,the combination is extremely difficult to produce by mechanical means1 and must have been beyond the reach of any primitive loom4 ,i have prepared a diagram1 ,fig4 #ge1 which1 shows very clearly the arrangement of threads1 and illustrates a possible method of supporting the warp while the woof is carried across4 ,as each thread of the woof is laid in place1 the threads of the warp can be thrown to the opposite support1 a turn or half twist being made at each exchange4 ,the work could be done equally well by beginning at the top and working downward4 ,for the sake of clearness ,i have drawn but one pair of the warp threads4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ge4--,theoretic device for working the twist4 ,fig4 #gf illustrates a characteristic example of this class obtained from a fragment of pottery from the great mound at ,sevierville1 ,tenn4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gf4--;,from fragment of mound pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,the impression is quite perfect4 ,the cords are somewhat uneven1 and seem to have been only moderately well twisted4 ,they were probably made of some vegetable fiber4 ,it will be observed that the threads of the woof are placed at regular intervals1 while those of the web are irregularly placed4 ,it is interesting to notice that in one case the warp has not been doubled1 the single thread having1 as a consequence1 exactly the same relation to the opposing series as corresponding threads in the first form of fabric presented4 ,the impression1 of which this is only a part1 indicates that the cloth was considerably distorted when applied to the soft clay4 ,the slipping of one of the woof threads is well shown in the upper part of the figure4 ,the fabric shown in ,fig4 #gg has been impressed upon an earthen vessel from ,macon1 ,ga4 ,it has been very well and neatly formed1 and all the details of fiber1 twist1 and combination can be made out4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gg4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,georgia4 ,the example given in ,fig4 #gh differs from the preceding in the spacing and pairing of the warp cords4 ,it was obtained from a fragment of ancient pottery recently collected at ,reel ,foot ,lake1 ,tennessee4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gh4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,fig4 #gi represents another interesting specimen from the pottery of the same locality4 ,the border is woven somewhat differently from the body of the fabric1 two threads of the woof being included in each loop of the warp4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #gi4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,fig4 #hj is from the pottery of the same locality4 ,the threads are much more closely woven than those already given4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hj4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,the next example1 ,fig4 #ha1 impressed upon a fragment of clay from ,arkansas1 has been made of coarse1 well-twisted cords4 ,an ornamental border has been produced by looping the cords of the woof1 which seem to have been five in number1 each one passing over four others before recrossing the warp4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ha4--;,from a piece of clay1 ,arkansas4 ,in no locality are so many fine impressions of textiles upon clay vessels found as in the ancient salt-making districts of the ,mississippi ,valley4 ,the huge bowl or tub-like vessels used by the primitive salt-makers have very generally been modeled in coarse nets1 or otherwise have had many varieties of netting impressed upon them for ornament4 ,in the accompanying plate 7,,xxxix7 two fine examples of these impressions are given4 ,they are somewhat more clearly defined than the majority of those from which the other illustrations are made4 ,fig4 #hb illustrates a specimen in which every detail is perfectly preserved4 ,only a small portion of the original is shown in the cut4 ,the cords are heavy and well twisted1 but the spacing is somewhat irregular4 ,i observe one interesting fact in regard to this impression4 ,the fabric has apparently been applied to the inverted vessel1 as the loose cords of the woof which run parallel with the rim droop or hang in festoons between the cords of the warp as shown in the illustration1 which is here placed1 as drawn from the inverted fragment4 ,the inference to be drawn from this fact is that the fabric was applied to the exterior of the vessel1 after it was completed and inverted1 for the purpose of enhancing its beauty4 ,when we recollect1 however1 that these vessels were probably built for service only1 with thick walls and rude finish1 we are at a loss to see why so much pains should have been taken in their embellishment4 ,it seems highly probable that1 generally1 the inspiring idea was one of utility1 and that the fabric served in some way as a support to the pliable clay1 or that the network of shallow impressions was supposed to act after the manner of a dgraissant to neutralize the tendency to fracture4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hb4--;,from fragment of a large salt vessel1 ,saline ,river1 ,illinois4 ,another example from the same locality is shown in ,fig4 #hc4 ,this is similar to that shown in the lower figure of ,plate ,,xxxix4 ,it is very neatly woven of evenly spun and well-twisted thread4 ,the double series is widely spaced as shown in the drawing4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hc4--;,from a salt vessel1 ,saline ,river1 ,illinois4 ,the very interesting specimen illustrated in ,fig4 #hd was obtained from a small fragment of pottery found in ,fort ,ripley ,county1 ,missouri4 ,the combination of the two series of threads or strands clearly indicates the type of fabric under consideration1 the twisted cords of the warp being placed very far apart4 ,the remarkable feature of this example is the character of the woof1 which seems to be a broad braid formed by plaiting three strands of untwisted fiber1 probably bast4 ,all the details are shown in the most satisfactory manner in the clay cast4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hd4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,missouri4 ,the open character of the web in this specimen assists very much1 in explaining the structure of tightly-woven examples such as that shown in ,fig4 #he1 in which the cross cords are so closely placed that the broad bands of the opposing series are completely hidden4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #he4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,i have made the drawing to show fillets of fiber appearing at the ends4 ,these do not appear in the impression4 ,it is highly probable1 however1 that these fillets are plaited bands1 as in the preceding example4 ,they are wide and flat1 giving somewhat the effect of basket-work of splints or of rushes4 ,this specimen was obtained in ,carter ,county1 ,tennessee4 ,we have a few pieces of this variety of fabric which have been preserved by contact with the salts of copper4 ,professor ,farquharson describes an example from a mound on the banks of the ,mississippi ,river1 near the city of ,davenport4 ,it had been wrapped about a copper implement resembling a celt1 and was at the time of its recovery in a very perfect state of preservation4 ,in describing this cloth ,mr4 ,farquharson says that the warp is composed of four cords1 that is1 of two double and twisted cords1 and the woof of one such doubled and twisted cord which passes between the two parts of the warp2 the latter being twisted at each change1 allowing the cords to be brought close together so as to cover the woof almost entirely4 ,his illustration is somewhat erroneous1 the artist not having had quite a clear understanding of the combination of threads4 ,this cloth has a general resemblance to ordinary coffee-sacking4 ,in ,fig4 #hf ,i give an illustration of this fabric derived from the opposite side of the celt4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hf4--;,fabric from a copper celt1 ,iowa4 ,although ,i am not quite positive1 it is my opinion1 after having examined the specimen carefully1 that the body of the cloth belongs to my first group and that the border only is of the second group4 ,my section and drawing give a clear idea of the construction of this fabric4 ,a finely-preserved bit of cloth belonging to the group under consideration was recently found fixed to the surface of a copper image from one of the ,etowah mounds in ,georgia4 ,this form of weaving is very common among the productions of the modern tribes of ,western ,america4 ,a very good example is shown in ,fig4 #hg1 which represents the border of a cape like garment made by the ,clyoquot ,indians1 of ,vancouver's ,island4 ,it is woven1 apparently1 of the fiber of bark1 both web and woof showing considerable diversity in the size of the cords4 ,the border has been strengthened by sewing in a broad1 thin fillet of rawhide4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hg4--,modern work1 ,vancouver's ,island4 ,the beautiful mats of the northwest coast peoples1 from ,california to ,ounalaska1 are often woven in this manner1 the materials being bast1 grass1 or rushes4 ,the ,lake ,dwellers of ,switzerland seem to have made a great many varieties of cloth of this type4 ,i have reproduced four examples from the great work of ,dr4 ,keller4 ,fig4 #hh is copied from his ,fig4 #a1 ,plate ,,cxxxv4 ,it exhibits some variations from the type1 double strips of bast being bound by a woof consisting of alternate strips of bast and cords4 ,it is from ,robenhausen4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #hh4--;,fabric from the ,lake ,dwellings1 ,switzerland4 ,in ,figs4 #hi and #ij we have typical examples from the same locality4 ,the woof series seems to consist of untwisted strands of bast or flax4 ,illustration3 ,figs4 #hi and #ij4--;,fabrics from the ,lake ,dwellings1 ,switzerland4 ,,third ,,group4 ,a third form of fabric is distinguished from the last by marked peculiarities in the combinations of the threads4 ,the threads of the warp are arranged in pairs as in the last form described1 but are twisted in such a way as to inclose two of the opposing series instead of one1 each succeeding pair of warp threads taking up alternate pairs of the woof threads1 as shown in the section1 ,fig4 #ia4 ,this is a very interesting variety1 and apparently one that would possess coherence and elasticity of a very high order4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ia4--,section4 ,in ,fig4 #ib a simple scheme of plaiting or weaving this material is suggested4 ,it will be seen to differ from the last chiefly in the way in which the woof is taken up by the warp4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ib4--,theoretical device for weaving third group4 ,the ancient pottery of the ,mississippi ,valley furnishes many examples of this fabric4 ,it is made of twisted cords and threads of sizes similar to those of the other work described1 varying from the weight of ordinary spool cotton to that of heavy twine4 ,the mesh is generally quite open4 ,in ,fig4 #ic we have a very well preserved example from ,reelfoot ,lake1 ,tennessee4 ,it was obtained from a large fragment of coarse pottery4 ,other pieces are nearly twice as coarse1 while some are much finer4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ic4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee4 ,figs4 #id and #ie are finer specimens from the same locality4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #id4 ,fig4 #ie4 ,from the ancient pottery of ,tennessee4 ,we have also good examples from ,saline ,river1 ,illinois4 ,they are obtained from fragments of the gigantic salt vessels so plentiful in that locality4 ,the upper figure of ,plate ,,xxxix illustrates one of these specimens4 ,other examples hare been obtained from ,roane ,county1 ,tennessee4 ,a piece of charred cloth from a mound in ,butler ,county1 ,ohio1 has been woven in this manner4 ,foster has described examples of the two preceding forms from the same locality4 ,the material used is a vegetable fiber obtained from the bark of trees or from some fibrous weed4 ,this specimen is now in the ,national ,museum4 ,an interesting variety of this form is given in ,fig4 #if4 ,it is from a small piece of pottery exhumed from a mound on ,fain's ,island1 ,jefferson ,county1 ,tennessee4 ,the threads of the woof are quite close together1 those of the web far apart4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #if4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,tennessee4 ,a very fine example of this variety of fabric was obtained by ,dr4 ,tarrow from an ancient cemetery near ,dos ,pueblos1 ,cal4 ,it is illustrated in ,fig4 #b1 ,plate ,,xiv1 vol4 ,,vii1 of ,surveys ,west of the #ajjth ,meridian4#d ,in describing it1 ,professor ,putnam says that the fiber is probably obtained from a species of yucca4 ,he says that the woof is made of two strands1 crossing the warp in such a manner that the strands alternate in passing1 over and under it1 and at the same time inclosing two alternate strands1 of the latter1 making a letter ,x figure of the warp1 united at the center of the ,x by the double strands of the woof4 ,it should be noticed that the series of cords called the woof by ,professor ,putnam are designated as warp in my own descriptions4 ,the illustration shows a fabric identical with that given in the upper figure of ,plate ,,xxxix1 and the description quoted describes perfectly the type of fabric under consideration4 ,footnote #d3 ,putnam1 ,f4 ,w41 in ,vol4 ,,vii of ,surveys ,west of the #ajjth ,meridian1 page #bdd4 ,this method of weaving is still practiced by some of the western tribes1 as may be seen by a visit to the national collection4 ,a somewhat complicated arrangement of the threads may be seen in the fabric shown in ,fig4 #ig4 ,it is clearly only a variation of the combination just described4 ,the manner in which the threads pass over1 under1 and across each other can be more easily understood by reference to the figure than by any description4 ,it comes from one of the ,northwest coast tribes4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ig4--,modern fabric1 ,northwest coast4 ,,fourth ,,group4 ,a fourth form of fabric1 illustrated in ,fig4 #ih1 is of very rare occurrence on our fictile remains4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ih4--;,diagonal fabric1 ancient pottery of ,tennessee4 ,it is a very neatly woven diagonal from the ancient pottery of ,polk ,county1 ,tennessee4 ,two series of cords have been interwoven at right angles to each other1 but so arranged as to produce a diagonal pattern4 ,one series of the cords is fine and well twisted1 the other coarser and very slightly twisted4 ,the remarkable sample of matting shown in ,fig4 #ii is from a small piece of pottery from ,alabama4 ,it has been worked in the diagonal style1 but is somewhat different from the last example4 ,it has probably been made of rushes or heavy blades of grass4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ii4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,alabama4 ,the texture shown in ,fig4 #ajj is from a rather indistinct impression upon a small fragment of pottery from ,iowa4 ,one series of the strands seems to have been quite rigid1 while the other has been pliable1 and appear in the impression only where they have crossed the rigid series4 ,the dotted lines indicate their probable course on the under side of the cross threads4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajj4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,iowa4 ,this form of fabric is very common in modern work4 ,,fifth ,,group4 ,in ,fig4 #aja ,i present a variety of ancient fabric which has not to my knowledge been found upon ceramic products4 ,this specimen shows the method of plaiting sandals practiced by the ancient inhabitants of ,kentucky4 ,numbers of these very interesting relics have been obtained from the great caves of that ,state4 ,they are beautifully woven1 and well shaped to the foot4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aja4--,plaiting of a sandal1 ,kentucky cave4 ,the fiber has the appearance of bast and is plaited in untwisted strands1 after the manner shown in the illustration4 ,professor ,putman describes a number of cast-off sandals from ,salt ,cave1 ,kentucky1 as neatly made of finely braided and twisted leaves of rushes4#e ,footnote #e3 ,putnam1 ,f4 ,w4 ,eighth ,annual ,report of the ,peabody ,museum1 p4 #di4 ,fig4 #ajb illustrates a somewhat similar method of plaiting practiced by the ,lake ,dwellers of ,switzerland1 from one of ,keller's figures4#f ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajb4--;,braiding done by the ,lake-,dwellers4 ,footnote #f3 ,keller1 ,dr4 ,f4 ,lake ,dwellers4 ,fig4 #c2 ,pl4 ,,cxxxvi4 ,,sixth ,,group4 ,the art of making nets of spun and twisted cords seems to have been practiced by many of the ancient peoples of ,america4 ,beautiful examples have been found in the huacas of the ,incas and in the tombs of the ,aztecs4 ,they were used by the prehistoric tribes of ,california and the ancient inhabitants of ,alaska4 ,nets were in use by the ,indians of ,florida and ,virginia at the time of the discovery1 and the ancient pottery of the ,atlantic ,states has preserved impressions of a number of varieties4 ,it is possible that some of these impressions may be from ,european nets1 but we have plentiful historical proof that nets of hemp were in use by the natives1 and as all of this pottery is very old it is probable that the impressions upon the fragments are from nets of native manufacture4 ,wyman states that nets or net impressions have not been found among the antiquities of ,tennessee4 ,i have found1 however1 that the pottery of ,carolina1 ,virginia1 and ,maryland furnish examples of netting in great numbers4 ,in many cases the meshes have been distorted by stretching and overlapping so that the fabric cannot be examined in detail2 in other cases the impressions have been so deep that casts cannot be taken1 and in a majority of cases the fragments are so decayed that no details of the cords and their combinations can be made out4 ,in ,fig4 #ajc we have a thoroughly satisfactory restoration from a small fragment of pottery picked up in the ,district of ,columbia4 ,it is shown a little larger than natural size in the drawing4 ,the impression is so perfect that the twist of the cord and the form of the knot may be seen with ease4 ,most of the examples from this locality are of much finer cord and have a less open mesh than the specimen illustrated4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that in one of these specimens an incised pattern has been added to the surface of the soft clay after the removal of the net4 ,recent collections from the mounds of ,western ,north ,carolina have brought to light many examples of net-marked pottery4 ,generally the impressions are quite obscure1 but enough can be seen in the cast to show clearly the character of the fabric4 ,the restoration given in ,fig4 #ajd represents an average mesh1 others being finer and others coarser4 ,another specimen from the same collection is shown in ,fig4 #aje4 ,the impression is not very distinct1 bat there is an apparent doubling of the cords1 indicating a very unusual combination4 ,it is possible that this may have come from the imperfect imprinting1 but ,i can detect no indications of a shifting of the net upon the soft clay4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajc4--;,from ancient pottery1 ,district of ,columbia4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajd4--,net from the pottery of ,north ,carolina4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aje4--,net from the pottery of ,north ,carolina4 ,many interesting examples could be given1 both from the ancient and modern work of the inhabitants of the ,pacific coast1 but for the present ,i shall content myself by presenting a single example from the ,lake ,dwellings of ,switzerland 7,fig4 #ajf73 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajf4--,net from the ,swiss ,lake ,dwellings4 ,keller1 plate1 ,,cxxx4 ,,miscellaneous ,,forms4 ,the forms of fabrics used by the ancient tribes of the ,middle and ,northern ,atlantic ,states in the manufacture and ornamentation of their pottery have differed materially from those used in the ,south and ,west4 ,as a rule the fragments are smaller and the impressions less perfectly preserved4 ,the fabrics have been more complicated and less carefully applied to the vessel4 ,in many cases the impressions seem to have been made from disconnected bands1 belts1 or strips of cloth4 ,single cords1 or cords arranged in groups by rolling on sticks1 or by other contrivances1 have been extensively employed4 ,baskets have doubtless been used1 some of which have been woven1 but others have apparently been of bark or skin1 with stitched designs of thread or quills4 ,some of the impressions suggest the use of woven vessels or fabrics filled up with clay or resin1 so that the prominences only are imprinted1 or otherwise cloths may have been used in which raised figures were worked4 ,fig4 #ajg is obtained from a fragment of pottery from ,new ,jersey4 ,the impressions are extremely puzzling1 but are such as ,i imagine might be made by the use of a basket1 the meshes of which had been filled up with clay or resin so that only the more prominent ridges or series of thongs remain uncovered to give impressions upon the clay4 ,but the threads or thongs indicate a pliable net rather than a basket1 and the appearance of the horizontal threads at the ends of the series of raised stitches suggests that possibly the material may have been bark or smooth cloth with a heavy pattern stitched into it4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajg4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey4 ,very similar to the above is the example given in ,fig4 #ajh1 also derived from the pottery of ,new ,jersey4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ajh4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey4 ,fig4 #aji illustrates an impression upon another fragment from the same state4 ,this impression may have been made by a piece of birch bark or fine fabric with a pattern sewed into it with cords or quills4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aji4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey4 ,fig4 #aaj illustrates an impression upon a large1 well-made vase1 with scalloped rim1 from ,easton1 ,pa4 ,the character of the fabric is difficult to make out1 the impression suggesting bead-work4 ,that it is from a fabric1 however1 is evident from the fact that there is system and uniformity in the arrangement of markings1 the indentations alternating as in the impressions of fabrics of the simplest type4 ,yet there is an appearance of patchwork in the impression that suggests separate applications of the material4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aaj4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,pennsylvania4 ,in ,figs4 #aaa and #aab we have what appear to be impressions of bands or belts4 ,the first shown consists of six parallel cords1 coarse and well twisted1 with a border of short cord indentations placed at regular intervals4 ,this is a very usual form in all parts of the country1 from the ,mandan towns of the ,missouri to ,florida4 ,it is possible that the cords may in this case have been separately impressed1 but the example given in ,fig4 #aab is undoubtedly from1 a woven band or belt1 the middle portion of which seems to have been a closely-woven cloth1 with a sort of pattern produced by series of raised or knotted threads4 ,the borders consist of single longitudinal cord impressions with an edging of short cord indentations placed at right angles to the belt4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aaa4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,ohio4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aab4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,new ,jersey4 ,similar to the last is the very effective decorative design impressed upon a large fragment of pottery from ,alabama1 shown in ,fig4 #aac4 ,the peculiarity of this example is the use of plaited instead of twisted cords4 ,the work is neatly done and very effective4 ,it seems to me almost certain that single cords have been used4 ,they have been so imprinted as to form a zone1 filled with groups of lines placed at various angles4 ,an ornamental border of short lines has been added1 as in the examples previously given4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aac4--;,from the ancient pottery of ,alabama4 ,two other examples of cord ornamentation1 which may be duplicated from the pottery of almost any of the ,atlantic ,states1 are presented in ,figs4 #aad and #aae1 the first from a fragment of pottery from ,charles ,county1 ,maryland1 and the other from the pottery of ,alabama4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aad4--;,cord-markings from ancient pottery of ,maryland4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aae4--;,cord-markings from ancient pottery of ,alabama4 ,it will readily be seen that it is extremely difficult to draw a line between an ornamentation produced by the use of single or grouped cords and that made by the use of fabrics4 ,it is not less difficult to say just how much of this use of cords and fabrics is to be attributed to manufacture simply and how much to ornament4 ,although the restorations here presented certainly throw considerable light upon the textile fabrics of the ancient inhabitants of the ,atlantic ,states1 it cannot be affirmed that anything like a complete idea of their fabrics has been gained4 ,impressions upon pottery represent a class of work utilized in the fictile arts4 ,we cannot say what other fabrics were produced and used for other purposes4 ,however this may be1 attention should be called to the fact that the work described1 though varied and ingenious1 exhibits no characters in execution or design not wholly consonant with the art of a stone-age people4 ,there is nothing superior to or specifically different from the work of our modern ,indians4 ,the origin of the use of fabrics and of separate cords in the ornamentation of pottery is very obscure4 ,baskets and nets were doubtless in use by many tribes throughout their pottery making period4 ,the shaping of earthen vessels in or upon baskets either of plain bark or of woven splints or of fiber must frequently have occurred4 ,the peculiar impressions left upon the clay probably came in time to be regarded as ornamental1 and were applied for purposes of embellishment alone4 ,decorative art has thus been enriched by many elements of beauty4 ,these now survive in incised1 stamped1 and painted designs4 ,the forms as well as the ornamentation of clay vessels very naturally preserve traces of the former intimacy of the two arts4 ,since the stereotyping of these pages ,i have come upon a short paper by ,george ,e4 ,sellers 7,popular ,science ,monthly1 ,vol4 ,,xi1 p4 #egc71 in which is given what ,i believe to be a correct view of the use of nets in the manufacture of the large salt vessels referred to on pages #cih and #dji4 ,the use of interior conical moulds of indurated clay makes clear the reasons for the reversed festooning of the cords to which ,i called attention4 ,,index ,cord-markings on pottery #dbc ,diagonal textiles #daf ,fabrics1 ,diagonal #dag ,forms of #dja from ,new ,jersey #dba ,iowa #daa ,mississippi ,valley #djh-daa ,southern ,states #djg of lake dwellers #dac ,miscellaneous #dae ,farquharson1 ,prof41 describes fabric from ,iowa #daa ,holmes1 ,w4 ,h41 ,catalogue of ,ethnological collections #cic ,jewett1 ,l41 ,british vase from the work of #cii ,keller1 ,dr4 ,f41 on fabrics of ,swiss lake dwellers #djd1 #dab1 #dac1 #dah1 #dbj ,lake dwellings1 ,fabrics from ,swiss #djc1 #dab1 #dac1 #dah1 #dbj ,mississippi ,valley1 ,prehistoric fabrics from #djh-daa ,nets from ,atlantic coast #dai ,osgood1 ,miss ,kate ,c41 reproduced methods of fabrication #djj1 #djf ,putnam1 ,f4 ,w41 on ancient fabrics #dae1 #dah ,swiss lake dwellings1 ,fabrics from #djc1 #dab1 #dac1 #dah1 #dbj ,textiles1 ,diagonal #dag ,forms of #dja from ,mississippi ,valley1 ,prehistoric #djh-daa ,new ,jersey1 ,prehistoric #dba ,southern ,states1 ,prehistoric #djg ,swiss ,lake dwellers1 ,prehistoric #dac ,miscellaneous #dae used to support pottery #cih ,vase from the work of ,llewellyn ,jewett1 ,british #cii ,weaving illustrated from pottery1 ,materials used in #cig ,modes of #dja1 #dje1 #dac ,wyman1 ,prof41 on cord-marked pottery of ,tennessee #cih ,yarrow1 ,dr41 ,h4 ,c41 obtained fabrics from pottery in ,california #dae