Steamboat Island
This is the Rockport Black-on-gray equivalent to the “Carancahua Bay" motif of Rockport Black, and most previous statements regarding that motif also pertain to “Steamboat Island.” It consists simply of a black rim band that primarily circles the exterior and top portions of a vessel’s lip. At times the band also occurs on the interior edge of the lip. Because of its relative simplicity, “Steamboat Island” apparently represents the most common of all Rockport motifs. Sherds exhibiting the “Steamboat Island" motif are reported to make up the bulk of all decorated ceramics from previous Rockport assemblages. In his 1990 dissertation, Robert Ricklis designated the design as a separate type—Rockport Black-on-gray I—to reflect the widespread presence of the motif.
As noted for “Carancahua Bay,” “Steamboat Island” has been recognized for years as one of the principal decorative designs on Rockport ceramics. Of particular interest is the potential association of the motif with relatively late components dating into the Protohistoric and Historic periods, as evidenced by the presence of similar designs on Goliad Red-on-buff and Goliad Black-on-buff vessels from Mission Espíritu Santo at Goliad.