This article summarizes the results of several field seasons of work at a Cobbs Swamp phase site in central Alabama while incorporating and reevaluating what we know to date of this important Middle Woodland phase.
The object of this study was to assess the variability in adaptive strategies for an extinct Middle Woodland population in the Alabama River valley. Previous archaeological investigations demonstrate a disputed cultural chronology and... more
The object of this study was to assess the variability in adaptive strategies for an extinct Middle Woodland population in the Alabama River valley. Previous archaeological investigations demonstrate a disputed cultural chronology and limited sample sizes for a clear representation of this cultural period. Ceramic and lithic materials from the Indian Hill site in Wilcox County, AL were the primary units of analysis. This study, relying heavily upon archaeological theoretical constructs, previous archaeological investigations into the Middle Woodland, and the analysis of ceramic and lithic material from 1Wx15, demonstrates that this area was occupied by a group of aboriginal people that created a unique container and lithic inventory. Ceramic analysis of the Indian Hill site represents limited interaction of these people with other ethnic groups. It is the purpose of the research to provide a narrative about the cultural identity of this Middle Woodland population in Wilcox County, AL.
Geoscience approaches are being applied for prospection and intra-site analysis with increasing frequency in a variety of contexts around the world. There currently are a variety of archaeochemical procedures in use, each of which... more
Geoscience approaches are being applied for prospection and intra-site analysis with increasing frequency
in a variety of contexts around the world. There currently are a variety of archaeochemical procedures
in use, each of which suffers from inherent limitations Colorimetric measurement is limited in the
number of elements measured simultaneously. Inductively Coupled Plasma techniques are expensive
and restricted to a narrow range of institutions. Yet the recent availability of Portable X-ray Fluorescence
(pXRF) offers a more flexible (wide spectrum of elements) and relatively inexpensive piece of
equipment that is potentially more widely applicable to archaeological issues. However, pXRF is most
often used for whole-sample, dry chemistry which introduces a potentially geological confounding factor.
In contrast, weak acid extraction preferences weakly adsorbed, and more likely anthropogenic, ions.
We perform a comparative analysis of colorimetric measurement of phosphate, ICP-OES measurement
of multiple elements, and both wet and dry pXRF of soil samples from a variety of glacial till plain contexts
to assess the ability of pXRF to comparably measure the chemical imprint of human activity in till
plain soils.
I designed and created the poster to augment an archaeological display/exhibit, which was held in March, 2015. The poster briefly summarizes for the general public and other interested audiences the data associated with prehistoric trade... more
I designed and created the poster to augment an archaeological display/exhibit, which was held in March, 2015. The poster briefly summarizes for the general public and other interested audiences the data associated with prehistoric trade and exchange between the Ohio Valley Adena-Hopewell and the Delmarva Peninsula.
During the past summer, salvage operations were carried out at the Donaldson site which had been previously investigated by J.V. Wright in 1960 (Wright and Anderson 1963). The excavations were designed to gather additional data on... more
During the past summer, salvage operations were carried out at the Donaldson site which had been previously investigated by J.V. Wright in 1960 (Wright and Anderson 1963). The excavations were designed to gather additional data on settlement and subsistence patterns at the site .
Over the last two years we have systematically analyzed samples of three material types from 32 Scioto Valley Middle Woodland sites to investigate multiple levels of social and economic interactions. Copper, lithic, and ceramic material... more
Over the last two years we have systematically analyzed samples of three material types from 32 Scioto Valley Middle Woodland sites to investigate multiple levels of social and economic interactions. Copper, lithic, and ceramic material types were subjected to source identification (geological and/or chemical sourcing), and the ceramics were the subject of an extensive attribute analysis. The materials and variables were selected to reveal details about multiple different scales of communities and networks operating during the Middle Woodland period in the Scioto Valley. Here we present a preliminary summary of this new systematically collected database. Our findings reveal unexpected and multifaceted variability and ubiquity. Specifically, we have revealed that there are clusters of copper chemical sources within sites, but differences among sites in geological provenance. While there are general tendencies in lithic source use, ties to southeastern sources serves to discriminate either changing or variable relations to the south. The ceramic chemical sources substantially overlap, with in some case more than 45% of a site’s assemblage matching the chemical signature of another site. Future analyses and data generation will refine these understandings and shed new light on the structure of relations among Hopewell societies over time and space.
[Click on the link to see some of the 3D models we have created during this project. Many can be downloaded for free. If you would like access to additional models or data please contact the lead author.]
A Middle Woodland Jack's Reef corner-notched projectile point, excavated from a secure feature hearth context at the Buttar site (BaGn-72), is now associated with a radiocarbon date on hearth charcoal placing it circa 930 A.D.... more
A Middle Woodland Jack's Reef corner-notched projectile point, excavated from a secure feature hearth context at the Buttar site (BaGn-72), is now associated with a radiocarbon date on hearth charcoal placing it circa 930 A.D. (uncorrected). Complete and recognizable projectile point types are not often reported from hearth features with C14 dates in Ontario.
The 288 archaeological features excavated at the Williams Spring Site (1MA1167) were seriated and analyzed based upon absolute chronometrics, artifact content, spatial relationships between features, and individual feature morphology. In... more
The 288 archaeological features excavated at the Williams Spring Site (1MA1167) were seriated and analyzed based upon absolute chronometrics, artifact content, spatial relationships between features, and individual feature morphology. In addition to seriation of the features, statistical methods were employed to elucidate primary and secondary
functions of features. Utilizing GIS technology, the spatial relationships between features through time were also analyzed, yielding architectural patterns and defining special use areas. These analyses culminated in a model of site structure, architecture, and use of space through time at the William Springs Site.
