The Weeden Island ceramic complex was first defined by (Willey 1945) and later applied to a set of cultural traits shared among mound sites along the Gulf Coast of Florida. This description of the Weeden Island Incised type is based on his later elaboration of ceramic types throughout the state of Florida (Willey 1949:411-419). 

Willey (1949:411) does not specify any differences in ware characteristics between Weeden Island Incised and Weeden Island Plain. The only distinction Willey makes between these two types are "There are some examples of the use of red paint in the Weeden Island Incised. Often bowl interiors will be red-slipped, or rim folds will be painted red. Less often the complete exterior was red-slipped."

According to Willey (1949:411), "This discustinctive decoration type has been recognized for many years. Holmes (1903, pp. 110 ff.) referred to some of it as 'Appalachicola ware'; Cushing (1897) recognized it at Tarpon Springd, and Stirling (1936) referred to the entire Weeden Island Series as 'Weeden Island ware.' The latter name has had current usage in the past two decades and has been selected as the type name. In an earlier paper (Willey and Woodbury, 1942, pp. 242-243), the type Weeden Island Incised was defined to include what has been here divided into Weeden Island Incised and Weeden Island Punctated. The two types are similar and obviously closely related. In the stratigraphic classifications and tabulations for northwest Florida they were lumped together as Weeden Island Incised; however, in the classifications of mound materials from the Florida west coast they were treated as separate types and are so described here."

As described in Willey (1949: 411-419):

Definition as a type: This discustinctive decoration type has been recognized for many years. Holmes (1903, pp. 110 ff.) referred to some of it as 'Appalachicola ware'; Cushing (1897) recognized it at Tarpon Springd, and Stirling (1936) referred to the entire Weeden Island Series as 'Weeden Island ware.' The latter name has had current usage in the past two decades and has been selected as the type name. In an earlier paper (Willey and Woodbury, 1942, pp. 242-243), the type Weeden Island Incised was defined to include what has been here divided into Weeden Island Incised and Weeden Island Punctated. The two types are similar and obviously closely related. In the stratigraphic classifications and tabulations for northwest Florida they were lumped together as Weeden Island Incised; however, in the classifications of mound materials from the Florida west coast they were treated as separate types and are so described here.

Ware characteristics: (See Weeden Island Plain.) There are some examples of the use of red paint in Weeden Island Incised. Often bowl interiors will be red-slipped, or rim folds will be painted red. Less often the complete exterior was red-slipped.

Decoration:

Technique: Combination of incised lines, of varying depths and widths, made with a pointed instrument, and small dot, hollow-reed, and triangular punctations. All decorations made before firing.

Design: Basic design principle is one of the constrasting areas with the featured design expressed in the negative, or in undecorated areas (fig. 35, 36, 37, 38). Hachure, cross hachure, and fields or rows of punctations are used as backgrounds. Background areas and plain areas are separated by an incised line. Design is essentially curvilinear and includes continuous meanders and simple and compound lobate forms. In the negative-meander design a single incised line often runs through the middle of the plain area. This line may be dotted and/or terminated by large, deep triangular or holllow-reed punctations (fig. 36, a, e). Moore and others have stated that the underlying motif of many of the Weeden Island designs is a bird representation. There are examples where this is undoubtedly true, and the modeling of the vessel form, plus small effigy adornos, further express the bird idea. However, the treatment is extremely stylized (fig. 35, a, c; 36, d; 38, a-c), and in most specimens the bird is not easily recognized. It should be said that the artist's conception was usually that of a single bird represented on each vessel, often resulting in a nonrealistic disposal of design units to express his total idea (Pl. 25, a-f; pl.26, a-e.)

Distribution: Decoration is often confined to a zone encircling the upper half of the vessel exterior; however, the decorating of the entire exterior surface, with the exception of the base, is often noted. Interior decoration is frequent on the laterally projecting rim appendages of the shallow open bowls. In general, the conception of the design is excellent, stylized, and symbolic; its execution is competent, or even masterly. The craftsman's control over his medium is not excelled anywhere, or at any time, in the pottery of the eastern United States.

Form:

Total vessel: In the middens, sherds indicate a number of minor variations on a few basic shapes. These are: open bowls, bowls with slightly incurved rims, flattened-globular bowls, and simple jar forms. In the burial mounds these forms are repeated, but a number of others are found in addition. These include: Squared flattened-globular bowls, collared globular bowls, square and cylindrical beakers, beaker bowls, double-and single-globed jars both plain and in semieffigy form, gourdeffigy bowls with single lateral projecting handle, lobed or melon bowls, and miscellaneous forms. (See figs. 35, 36, 37, 38 for examples of some of these.)

Rim: Rims include a variety of incurving forms, some of which are abruptly recurved near the margin. Outslanting rims of open bowls or beakers are less common. Folding or thickening of the rim is very common. Exterior folding or thickening are more common than interior folding ....