Centering and alternating of motifs represents an ancient principle in the Southeast, especially in the Coles Creek Culture to the south and southwest of the LMV. Thirteenth- and fourteenth-century motifs include interlocking scrolls, ogees, sunbursts, cross-in-circles, nested triangles and circles, and alternating terraces that are often painted, incised, or engraved. Figural art emphasizes the Great Serpent (Fig. 5.3), while modeled vessels generally depict females seated in highly stylized positions. The female effigies appear to represent residents of
