from David Anderson's type description

Background

Fabric Marked pottery was originally defined by defined by Jennings and Fairbanks (1940). The Woodland period in the north Georgia Piedmont began sometime between and 600 BC, and is identified by the appearance of Fabric Marked pottery 1982; Caldwell 1958:23-25; Garrow 1975: 18; Wauchope 1966: 46-48; Wood 1:13-The earliest securely dated assemblages date to ca. 700-600 BC and are characterized by course sand / grit fabric marked pottery. To the north of the Piedmont, in the Appalachian summit of western North Carolina, fabric marked pottery dominates assemblages. The sequence in this area proceeds from the coarser to finer sand and grit-tempered pottery of the Pigeon and Swannanoa series, which are dated to after 700 BC and 400 BC, respectively (Keel 1976)

Fabric Marked pottery currently appears to be the only initial Woodland ceramic indicator currently known from the upper Savannah River. An early position for the finish was documented stratigraphically at Big Generostee Creek in the Russell Reservoir, and fabric marked sherds were noted in early levels in isolated units at a number of other sites (Anderson This may indicate that the widespread adoption of ceramics did not occur in the upper Savannah River until well into the Early Woodland period, after Refuge times. Given the infrequent occurrence of Stallings and Thom's Creek ceramics in the Piedmont, and the apparent late (ca. 700 BC) appearance for fabric marked pottery in northern Georgia, this seems to be a plausible inference 1982; 1975).

While some fabric marked pottery found in the western part of South Carolina may date to the Early Woodland period, the finish cannot be unequivocally assigned to the this period whenever it is found. A long occurrence for the finish, spanning virtually the entire ceramic prehistoric era, has been documented throughout much of eastern and central North Carolina (Coe 1964; Keel 1976; Phelps 1983; Reid Ward as well as in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina (Anderson 1982: 293-301; Trinkley 1989). Within the Georgia Piedmont, however, the primary occurrence for the finish appears to be during the Early Woodland, with only occasional materials noted in later Woodland and Mississippian contexts Connestee Fabric Marked, Keel Etowah Net Marked, Wauchope In the upper Savannah River Valley, fabric marked pottery appears to occur primarily in the Early Woodland period, as in north Georgia, with the occasional later occurrences of the finish perhaps representing influences from areas to the east.

Sorting Criteria

Fabric impressions applied over the exterior surface of the vessel while the paste was plastic; occasionally smoothed somewhat after stamping. Paste characterized by varying amounts of fine sand (0.5-2.0 mm).

Distribution

Western Piedmont of South Carolina to just below the Fall Line, and across northern Georgia.

Chronological Position

Early Woodland

Primary References

Jennings and Fairbanks (1940). Caldwell (1958); Wauchope (1966).