Crossing the Borders: New Methods and Techniques in the Study of Archaeological Materials from the Caribbean

74 / Hutcheson
Figure 5.2. Photo of a sherd and corresponding mold showing the difference in visibility of
the weave pattern.
deciphering the more complex weaves, and when the weave is very tight, the impression
is faint or otherwise obscured on the sherd. The optical confusion created
by the negative impression on the pottery makes it extremely difficult to follow the
interlacing. Note the difference in appearance between the sherd and the mold in
Figure 5.2, where the mold actually looks like a basket surface. Casts offer a different
visual perspective, and, due to their uniform coloration, they often reveal details
that cannot be seen on the original artifact (Drooker 2001; Hutcheson 2001).
The Pigeon Creek site has produced the most complex use of the “A pattern”
mechanism (Figure 5.3, no. 4), as well as a modification of the “A pattern” in the
third and fourth rows, giving a staggered appearance creating a diagonal line (Figure
5.3, nos. 1a and 1b). Another pattern, very different from the “A pattern,” has
also been found where the warp and weft simultaneously alter intervals creating a
borderlike pattern (Figure 5.3, no. 2) (Berman and Hutcheson 2000). Two versions
of a quartered field have been found (Figure 5.3, nos. 3 and 5). One creates nesting
lozenges while the other draws the eye inward. These designs speak of a weaving
tradition that is complex and well developed, hinting that other such weaves
are yet to be found.
Preliminary investigations by Lucinda McWeeney have suggested the identification
of some of the fibers used in Lucayan basketry that includes several types of
palm, most notably Cocothrinax argentea (silver thatch) and Sabal palmetto (palmetto),
and monocotyledonous plants such as Typha sp. (a likely one being cattail)
and Poacea sp. (one or more types of grass) (Hutcheson 2001; Hutcheson and
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