Adena Pottery

For many years the Adena aspect has been one of the best known prehistoric cultures in the Ohio Valley. The type site was excavated by Dr. W. C. Mills of the Ohio State Museum at the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time, however, it was thought to be a burial place of Fort Ancient peoples. This opinion was not outmoded until the publication of the results of the excavation of the Westenhaver mound by Dr. Mills in which he, for the first time, set forth the concept of an Adena culture as distinct from both Hopewell and Fort Ancient. A list of traits distinctive of the Adena culture was published by Mr. H. C. Shetrone in which no mention was made of the pottery associated with the culture. In a more comprehensive publication by the same author, little attention was paid to the ceramic remains because of the paucity of data. The last statement regarding the presence or absence of pottery in Adena is that of Dr. E. F. Greenman : complete pottery vessels and pottery sherds are here considered as separate cultural items and are placed in Table C, containing traits not characteristic of the Adena culture.