According to Willey (1949:409), "Plain ware of the Weeden Island Type has been informally recognized for some years. In order to make the classification of sherds from the stratigraphic excavations as objectively verifiable as possible, only rim sherds were listed as Weeden Island Plain. It is probable that the residual group 'Smooth Plain' is almost wholly composed of body sherds of Weeden Island Plain vessels. In addition, other less well-finished Weeden Island Plain body sherds were undoubtedly thrown into the other category, 'Residual Plain'". The type's distribution range is the "entire Florida Gulf Coast area (Willey 1949:409). In terms of relations to other types, Weeden Island Plain is "related to the plain wares of both the Troyville and Coles Creek Periods of the Lower Mississippi Valley" (Willey 1949:409).

The Weeden Island Plain type is manufactured with the coiling technique and the color of the type depends on the firing technique. Some colors are "light buff, red-bluff, gray, and mottled black" (Willey 1949:409). The surface of the type is also smoothed and polished. Lastly, the base of the pottery type is "both rounded and flat" (Willey 1949:411).

As described by Willey (1949:427-428):

Definition as a type: Northwest coast of Florida

Ware characteristics:

Method of manufacture: Coiling or annular technique

Temper: Fine sand with only rare coarser particles in the form of grit or lumps of clay. Mica observed in most sherds.

Paste texture and color: Granular. Some tendency, occasionally observed, toward lamination and contortion of paste, although this does not affect the hard, compact quality of the paste. May be oxidized to buff color throughout; may have buff surfaces and gray core; may have only an exterior buff surface; or may be gray-black throughout.

Surface texture, color, and finish: Surface color varies according to the firing. Light buff, red-buff, gray, and mottled black are the most common. Fire clouding is frequent. Both surfaces well smoothed to polished. Red paint of a carmine shade has been used as a slip on many specimens. Those so painted were nearly all of natural buff surface. Paint has the appearance of a 'fugitive' red as it is much worn and, in some cases, almost competely obliterated. Nevertheless, it does not rub off and appears to have been fixed by firing, so the term 'fugitive' does not properly apply. In some cases the paint was applied only to the interiors of open bowls; in others the interiors and the lip and vessel rim fold were painted red with vessel exterior left unpainted; rarely was red paint applied completely to both surfaces. Vessels with red paint are virtually all of the open bowl form (P1. 39, e-f.)

Hardness: 2.5 to 4.

Thickness: Vessel walls average 6 to 7 mm. with rims appreciably thicker

Decoration:

Technique: Incised lines occasionally in conjunction with punctations

Design: A band of diagonal cross hatching with diamonds ranging from 5 to 3 mm. in length. Dot punctations are sometimes placed at all or some of the intersctions of the incised lines. (Pl. 32, a-d; pl. 33, f, i.)

Distribution: Zone below lip on exterior of vessel. An incised line usually separates decorated zone from the rim and from the undecorated portion below.

Form:

Total vesel: Probably flattened-globular bowls and collared jars.

Rims: Incurving and outflaring rims, often thickened below lip. Round and flat exterior folds below rim. These folds range from 5 mm. to 2 cm. in width and may or may not be separated from the design by an undecorated area (fig. 47).

Lip: Rounded with variations toward both flat and pointed

Base: Probably rounded, and, possibly, flat in some cases.

Appendages: Triangular rim projections

Geographical range of type: Florida Gulf Coast, following general distribution of more characteristic Weeden Island types.

Chronological position of type: Weeden Island I and II periods

Relationships of type: Definitiely a part of Weeden Island Series. Quite similar decoration seen in Beldeau Incised, a Coles Creek Period type from Louisana (Ford and Willey, 1939).

Bibliography: Willey (1945.)