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 (1949:428-429):

Definition as a type : Northwest Florida Coast

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: Ridges made by pinching up the vessel surface before firing.

Design: Rows or ridges of pinched-up or piled-up surfaces (fig. 48, a-d). These may vary from rows of pinching, where each individual fingernail marking and accompanying pile are distinguishable as separate units, to continuous ridges. Ridges are spaced by 1 cm. or less and vary in depth from 1 to 4 mm. (Pl. 32, e-f.)

Distribution: Decoration is in a band below the vessel rim with the rim border left plain. The rows are arranged parallel to the vertical axis of the vessel.

Form:

Total vessel: Flattened-globular bowls, globular bowls with flared orifice, short-collared jars, long-collared jars, and cylindrical beakers.

Rim: Incurved, and incurved with short recurve at orifice. Small exterior flat folds. Massive rectanguloid (in cross section) folds (fig. 46, top).

Lip: Round-pointed. Flat. The latter have incised line, marked with triangular punctations, on the top.

Base: Both rounded and flat

Appendages: Triangular "ears" or projections extending out from rim flush with lip. These are found on the massive folded rims. They are about 1.5 to 2 cm. long and more or less equilateral. They are marked with a large, deep, triangular punctation on the top.

Geographical range of type: All along Florida Gulf Coast.

Chronological position of type: Weeden Island, especially Period II.

Relationships of type: Suggestive of Coles Creek Ridge-pinched of the Coles Creek Period, southern Louisiana.

Bibliography: Willey (1945).