The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taino

(also see Figure 10.6), loop handles, and raised, laterally
perforated knob handles (also see Figure
10.7).
The looped handle is the least frequently
encountered, while the hourglass type, usually
placed at both ends of boat-shaped vessels, is the
most frequently seen. Cylindrical knobs were often
placed at either end of a vessel, at the apex or just
below the rim. There may be one such knob or
groups of two or three smaller ones. The laterally
perforated knob handle, which resembles a crude face with perforations representing
the eye and the ridge
of the mouth, is said to be
unique to Jamaica. Their
large size would indicate
their probable use on large
bowls and jars (Figure 10.7).
The most common type of
lug is wedge-shaped; these
were customarily placed on the
shoulder or rim and at the end
of a vessel.
Figure 10.7 Laterally perforated handle.
(Illustration by Audrey Wiles, James W.
Lee collection. Courtesy of the Jamaica
Bauxite Institute.)
Incised linear designs appear
to have been a favourite with
Taíno potters. Curved lines, also
referred to as ribboning (Figure
10.8), and parallel lines occurred
on only a few potsherds. Spirals and circles were also
used. Cross-hatching was a common decorative
motif around the vessel (Figure 10.9). There are several
variations of these basic patterns.
The favoured areas for incised decorations were
the vessels’ shoulders, handles and lugs. Rims and
edges only rarely received ornamentation. Rims,
however, are known for the significant feature of filleting,
in which the edge of the wall was turned outwards
and flattened against itself, or a strip or small
coil of clay was added to the outside of the vessel
against the rim and then smoothed into the wall.
According to James W. Lee, “The favourite motif [of Taíno potters] was
the turtle, with head and foreflippers at one end of a bowl and tail and hind-
Figure 10.6 Taíno
bowl with hourglasstype
handle.
(Institute of Jamaica
Collection).
Figure 10.8 Ribbon
decoration. (Norma
Rodney-Harrack
collection.)
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