Earlier this year, I spent some time at Northwestern State University in Northwest Louisiana to scan a collection of Caddo vessels from the Belcher and Gahagan sites. Many of these were illustrated and described by Dr. Clarence Webb; including this effigy vessel from the Belcher site.
Dr. Webb’s illustration (above) and description of this vessel:
Pottery vessel 3 of Burial 15, Belcher Mound, is a bird effigy vessel found with above 2 in NE corner. It is a small bowl of clay tempered ware, black core, and brown-black surface which is polished, with white pigment impressed into the engraved lines. The head is represented by a conical knob projecting at rim level, encircled by 5 parallel lines. The opposite tail is flat, at rim level, bifurcate or half-disc in shape, with 3 parallel arcs on the upper surface. Small flat tabs project from each side to represent wings, each also having 3 parallel arcs on upper flat surface, from base to tip. 3 parallel horizontal lines encircle the body of the bowl, just below the rim, except where they are interrupted by the projections. Convex base.
Many thanks to the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, NCPTT, Dr. Pete Gregory (NSU) and the Williamson Museum for the requisite permissions, funding and access needed to scan these important Caddo vessels.