Pottery

This circular-shaped pot is a terracotta jar used for cooking or storing food.

Populations in northeastern North America begin making earthenware containers approximately three thousand years ago. This craft is mainly practised by the Iroquoian peoples, who are more sedentary.

Pottery is made from clay that has been stripped of impurities and rocks. It is then shaped and fired to make it hard and resistant.

The making and, especially, the decorating of pottery are women’s tasks. The motifs applied to the pottery are often identity symbols. Each community, even each family, creates its own designs to distinguish itself from others. These items reveal the extent of the trade networks between Indigenous peoples and the movement of populations. Common motifs on St. Lawrence Iroquoian pottery include corncob or ladder motifs, and reed prints.