The Cumberland River Archaic of Middle Tennessee (original) (raw)
Related papers
Archaic Shell-Bearing Sites of the Middle Cumberland River Valley of Tennessee
2015
The Middle Cumberland River Valley of Tennessee comprises a unique regional environment that has supported human occupation for at least 14,000 years. Consistent human occupation and reuse of natural river levees and adjacent terrace landforms from the late Pleistocene epoch (ca. 12,000 BC) through the 15th century AD resulted in the formation of numerous archaeological sites along the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The occupants of these sites relied on the abundant natural resources of the region, and particularly vertebrate and invertebrate species that inhabited the streams and waterways for subsistence and raw materials. Over thousands of years the inhabitants of the Middle Cumberland River Valley harvested these various species and took an active role in managing riverine resources. The cumulative result of this process appears in the archaeological record of the region as abundant zooarchaeological remains, principally consisting of animal bone and shellfish. One visually-striking archaeological facet of the Middle Cumberland River Valley is the densely deposited remains of freshwater shellfish that appear at Archaic sites throughout the region. These deposits span the period from approximately 6500 to 1000 BC, and comprise a regional manifestation of the cultural phase traditionally known as the Shell Mound Archaic. Recent survey and excavation efforts along with site file research have identified 22 sites within the Middle Cumberland Valley that exhibit intact Archaic shell-bearing components. An additional 59 sites in the region also exhibit a high probability for containing intact Archaic shell-bearing deposits, but require additional testing to determine their integrity. The Archaic shell-bearing sites in the Middle Cumberland River Valley provide unique opportunities to examine research topics including how mid-Holocene occupants of the region adapted to changing environments, modified the natural landscape, and altered the local ecology both deliberately and indirectly. In addition, data preserved within these sites has the potential to address numerous research questions regarding settlement patterning, regional population density, social structure, initial plant domestication, the development of regional trade networks, and environmental change within the Middle Cumberland River Valley, and more broadly in the American Southeast, between approximately 6500 and 1000 BC. Because of this information potential, the archaic shell-bearing sites of the Middle Cumberland River Valley are worthy of acknowledgement, protection, and preservation under Criterion D of 36 CFR 60.4.
The Shell-Bearing Archaic in the Middle Cumberland River Valley
2016
The Middle Cumberland River Valley of Tennessee comprises a unique regional environment that has continually supported human occupation along the natural river levees and adjacent terrace landforms since the Late Pleistocene. Over thousands of years Archaic period inhabitants of the Middle Cumberland River Valley harvested the invertebrate species that populated the streams and waterways of the region, using them for subsistence and raw materials and taking an active role in managing the riverine resources. The cumulative result of this process appears in the archaeological record as abundant and often-dense deposits of invertebrate zooarchaeological remains. However, few formal archaeological investigations have been conducted on Archaic shell-bearing sites in the region. In this field report we present initial results of site file analysis, radiocarbon dating, and species composition research in order to introduce the Middle Cumberland River Valley manifestation of the cultural phase traditionally known as the Shell Mound Archaic.
2014
Site 40DV307 (the Barnes site) is situated along the natural levee of the Cumberland River west of Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee. Archaeological investigations at 40DV307 have revealed multi-component prehistoric occupations including intact deposits from the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods of regional prehistory. The Archaic period deposits at 40DV307 are situated approximately 4–¬6.5 feet below modern ground surface and include concentrations of freshwater gastropods and bivalves. Radiocarbon samples and the overall character of these deposits link them to the regional manifestation of the Shell Mound Archaic cultural phase (ca. 6500 – 1000 BC) as it appears within the Middle Cumberland River Valley. In addition to modified stone, lithic tools, and freshwater shellfish, the Archaic shell-bearing levels at 40DV307 contain artifact classes including botanical remains, animal bone, and radiocarbon samples. Both collectively and individually these data classes will produce information significant to our understanding of prehistoric archaeology, human settlement, and culture change in Tennessee and the American Southeast during the mid-Holocene. Consequently, site 40DV307 is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D of 36 CFR 60.4, as related to the Multiple Property listing “Archaic shell-bearing sites of the Middle Cumberland River Valley, Tennessee.”
ZOOARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF A MULTICOMPONENT SHELL-BEARING SITE IN DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Site 40DV7 is one of several large shell-bearing sites located along the Cumberland River near Nashville which were heavily impacted by catastrophic flooding and looting activity during the spring of 2010. Emergency sampling and ongoing monitoring at 40DV7 since that time have identified deeply-stratified deposits spanning the Archaic through Mississippian periods. These deposits, and particularly the temporally-distinct shell midden components, may help inform our understanding of human occupation, species interdependence, and environmental change along the Cumberland River over a period of more than 5000 years.
Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Multicomponent Shell Midden in Davidson County, Tennessee
Tennessee Archaeology Vol. 6(1-2):40-52, 2012
Site 40DV7 is one of several large shell-bearing sites located along the Cumberland River near Nashville which were heavily impacted by catastrophic flooding and looting activity during the spring of 2010. Emergency sampling and ongoing monitoring at 40DV7 since that time have identified deeply-stratified deposits spanning the Archaic through Mississippian periods. These deposits, and particularly the temporally-distinct shell midden components, may help inform our understanding of human occupation, species interdependence, and environmental change along the Cumberland River over a period of more than 5,000 years.
The Green River Shell Mound Archaic: Conclusions
In Archaeology of the Middle Green River Region, Kentucky, 2005
In the final chapter of this volume, we review the history of research on the Green River Shell Mound Archaic and summarize knowledge about five research topics that Shell Mound Archaeological Project personnel have investigated. We conclude by indicating some fruitful directions for future work in the middle Green River region.
Focusing on the southeastern United States, I provide some alternative perspectives on shell mounds previously interpreted as architectural features, temple mounds, and feasting sites. The same pattern of deposition often inferred to indicate mound construction-darker-colored, highly organic strata alternating with lighter-colored, shell-rich strata-can be accounted for by domestic midden accumulation and disposal of refuse away from living areas. Observed abundances of particular shell species can result from local or regional ecological conditions. Site complexes interpreted as architectural may have evolved largely in response to short-term climate changes. Shell rings on the Georgia and South Carolina coasts probably functioned to conserve and store unconfined water. To understand ancient shell mounds, we need a sediment-oriented approach to the study of mound deposits and more attention to the environmental comexts in which shell mounds accumulated.
The Fluvial and Geomorphic Context of Indian Knoll, An Archaic Shell Midden In West-Central Kentucky
…, 2002
Indian Knoll is the largest Archaic shell midden excavated by WPA archaeologists in Kentucky. Situated in a large alluvial valley, the site is not associated with a known river shoal as might be expected, making its fluvial and geomorphic setting of interest. Based on sediment cores and auger samples, undisturbed portions of the site remain despite extensive excavations. In undisturbed portions, a shell-bearing layer is overlain by a shell-free midden layer. Profiles of organic matter and calcium carbonate content for both layers are similar to those of other Green River shell middens. New radiocarbon determinations date the shell deposit at 5590-4530 cal yr B.P. Analysis of mussel species collected from the Indian Knoll indicates that shell fishing took place in a swiftly flowing, shallow to moderately deep setting of the main river channel. Overall, the prehistoric river setting adjacent to Indian Knoll was characterized by deeper water on average with variable but finer-grained substrate compared to other Green River shell midden sites. ᭧
2015
Large accumulations of ancient shells on coastlines and riverbanks were long considered the result of garbage disposal during repeated food gatherings by early inhabitants of the southeastern United States. In this volume, Asa R. Randall presents the first synthesis of the St. Johns freshwater shell sites since the late nineteenth century. Drawing on social theory, he convincingly posits that these ancient “garbage dumps” were actually burial mounds, ceremonial gathering places, and often habitation spaces central to the histories and social geography of the hunter-gatherer societies who built them. Integrating more than 150 years of shell mound investigations, including Ripley Bullen’s crucial work, climatological records, and modern remote sensing data, Randall rejects the long-standing ecological interpretation and redefines these sites as socially significant places that reveal previously unknown complexities about the hunter-gatherer societies of the Mount Taylor period (ca. 7400–4600 cal. B.P.). Affected by climate change and increased scales of social interaction, the region’s inhabitants modified the landscape in surprising and meaningful ways. This pioneering volume presents an alternate history from which emerge rich details about the daily activities, ceremonies, and burial rituals of the St. Johns River Archaic cultures.