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Figure 1. Bottom and side views of shell-tempered pottery bowl recovered from House 1 at the Greenbrier site, showing painted hand motif.
Juliet E. Morrow, ASU-Jonesboro Research Station
Artifact of the Month - September 2026
This Terminal Mississippian shell-tempered pottery bowl was recovered from the floor of House 1 at the Greenbrier site (Figures 1-3). ASU-Jonesboro Station Assistant Sarah Stuckey refitted the pot using natural glue so that I could determine the outlines of the painted motifs. One motif appears to be raccoon hindquarters, another is a hand with five fingers, and another is what could be an arthropod on the edge of the bowl. Hand motifs typically depict a celestial portal or the "Path of Souls" guiding the deceased to the Milky Way. The arthropod may represent Grandmother Spider who is a manifestation of Earth Mother. Or it may present a scorpion. George Lankford’s research aligns the constellation Scorpio (the Great Serpent) with the guardian and ruler of the underworld portal, representing the final destination or threshold on the celestial journey.
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Figure 2. Bottom view of the pottery bowl.
As a collective, the motifs on this pot may represent a narrative about death and the path of souls. When one dies, the soul or spirit travels around the horizon and waits for the constellation Orion, which is represented by a hand aligned with the Milky Way so that the soul/spirit can leap from this world to the next using the Milky Way as the pathway to the next world. Many Eastern Woodlands and Southeastern Native American cultures viewed the Milky Way not just as a cluster of stars, but as the actual path taken by free-souls journeying toward the realm of the dead. Lankford and other researchers connected specific motifs—such as the "hand-and-eye" symbol carved onto shell gorgets—to portals or entry points on the Path of Souls, linking the celestial map with funerary rituals conducted in the earthly realm.
For more information on George Lankford’s interpretations of pottery motifs:
George E. Lankford, F. Kent Reilly III, and James F. Garber, Eds, (2011)  Visualizing the Sacred: Cosmic Visions, Regionalism, and the Art of the Mississippian World. University of Texas Press.
F. Kent Reilly III and James F. Garber, Eds. (2007)  Ancient Objects and Sacred Realms: Interpretations of Mississippian Iconography. University of Texas Press.
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Figure 3. Plan view of House 1 at Greenbrier site showing pottery vessels, Path of Souls Vessel, and "daub square" from which Path of Souls vessel was excavated.

Artifact of the Month Series

A first principle of archeology is that the significance of artifacts depends upon documented information about the context of their discovery. At what site was the artifact found? Can we figure out the age of the artifact? Where was it found in relation to site features (houses, trash deposits, activity areas, etc.) and the distribution of other artifacts? Only with knowledge of those facts can we assess further information about the manufacture and use of artifacts, and their role in other spheres of activity such as social organization, trade and exchange, and religious practice.
In this series, we feature select artifacts that are extraordinary both for the context of their discovery and for their unique qualities that contribute exceptionally important information about Arkansas culture and history. New artifacts will be added monthly. Find the list of artifacts here.