Aransas Bay

“Aransas Bay” (and its decorative sister, “Kenyon Island”) appears to be a minor, but relatively consistent, motif in Rockport assemblages along the central Texas coast.  It consists of a painted black band around the lip coupled with vertical rows of individually painted dots that descend downward from the band on the exterior portion of the vessel.

Other examples of either the “Aransas Bay” or “Kenyon Island” motif have been found at several sites in the Rockport, Texas, area. Maria Mounger illustrated designs similar to “Aransas Bay” from Mission Espíritu Santo near Goliad.  In those cases, sherds of both Goliad Red-on-buff and Goliad Black-on-buff exhibited rows of individual dots descending from vessel rims.  As with the “Copano Bay motif,” it may be assumed that a decorative design similar to “Aransas Bay” lasted until the eighteenth century.