Jim Maus Artifacts

Frog Effigy Vessels

When you think about them, amphibians are strange animals. Many begin life as underwater eggs which develop into small swimming tadpoles which again go through a developmental stage whereupon they emerge as land dwelling frogs or toads. These amphibians, which were probably the first tetrapods to actually walk on land over 350 million years ago, are poikilothermic. That is just a scientific word for cold-blooded which means the animals vary their body temperature depending on their environment. Along the lower Mississippi River there are about thirty species of frogs and toads and the natives living in the region several hundred years ago certainly encountered them and most likely revered them because of the large quantity of ceramic frog effigy pottery that the Indians made.

Green frog; pickerel frog; wood frog; cricket frog; southern leopard frog; tree frog; spadefoot; common toad; bull frog; These are a few of the amphibian varieties that can be found in the lower Mississippi Valley. During the period of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (AD 1000-1700) these early Americans probably utilized the frog animals as food as well as in ceremonialism. The natives understood two seasons – winter and summer. Winter was a time for hunting, war and moving to new village locations. Summer was the time for fishing and for revitalization, especially in relationship to growing corn, beans and squash. Frogs, in the ceremonial/religious beliefs of these people, were harbingers of rain and summer time renewal and probably would have been venerated as disciples of the gods who controlled the growing season. Even though they lived part of their lives in the evil watery “Below World” environment, frogs were primarily considered to be a part of the same living space as humans, “This World”, and as such would have been accepted on the same level as other animals such as deer and rabbits.

The natives who lived some three to five hundred years ago in the Mississippi River Valley made effigy pottery of many living organisms. Fish effigies were the most numerous closely followed by frog imagery. Most frog effigy vessels were made in the form of jars with fewer being bowls and bottles. They were mostly made of well burnished Bell Plain greyware ceramics but some few were also slip coated in red or red and white. A few were made as miniatures but most of these vessels were made in the four to six inches long sizes and three to four inches tall. Frog effigy pottery was usually made in quite realistic terms with four legs and feet (tetrapodal), a small tail and normal head with mouth, nose, eyes and often tympanums (ear drums) alongside the head.. Most of these vessels were probably made to simulate the American bullfrog. These large nocturnal amphibians are normally from 3 ½ inches to almost 8 inches in length and are usually green to brown in color. They live near ponds and lakes, creeks and rivers where they feed on insects, crayfish and minnows and would have also lived in those locales during prehistoric times. Even though they live near water, many bullfrogs seem to prefer being terrestrial especially by hiding and living in grasses and small shrubs immediately adjacent to lakes and rivers. Did the ancients actually consider frogs to be messengers of the gods to be revered and glorified? Or were they simply happy that their deities had sent them a delicious food source, even if that source was probably difficult to catch? Modern humans capture these bull frogs so as to feast on their large rear legs. And the ancient natives more than likely did so as well. And maybe after their meal perhaps, they made up some ceramics to thank the gods for that food - ceramics in the form of the frog effigy vessels.

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