American Bottoms archaeology Research Papers (original) (raw)
Current understanding of late Mississippian (Moorehead to Sand Prairie phase A.D. 1200-1350) rural settlements in the northern American Bottom is limited to a few sites located along the bluffs and further into the uplands. Recent... more
Current understanding of late Mississippian (Moorehead to Sand Prairie phase A.D. 1200-1350) rural settlements in the northern American Bottom is limited to a few sites located along the bluffs and further into the uplands. Recent excavations conducted by ITARP at the Russell, Auburn Sky, Rapscallion, and Crowley sites revealed several small late Mississippian rural settlements in the floodplain as well as the uplands. Located in areas neighboring East St. Louis, Horseshoe Lake, and the Mitchell Mound group, these sites provide new insights into late Mississippian rural occupation north of Cahokia.
Recent examination of zooarchaeological remains from the Olin (11MS133) and Russell (11MS672) sites in Madison County, Illinois, provides important data on Moorehead phase faunal exploitation in the northern American Bottom. Both... more
Recent examination of zooarchaeological remains from the Olin (11MS133) and Russell (11MS672) sites in Madison County, Illinois, provides important data on Moorehead phase faunal exploitation in the northern American Bottom. Both assemblages are from upland sites, a type of locality often overshadowed by floodplain sites, with their more abundant deposits of Late Woodland through Mississippian faunal remains. Although similar in many respects, comparison of select Mississippian assemblages from this region illustrates a number of differences in resource exploitation and procurement practices, which likely reflect shifts in environmental conditions and regional relationships.
Archaeological investigations at the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode site (11S1232) in southwestern Illinois resulted in the recovery of over 5,400 domestic dog (Canis familiaris) remains, representing over 100 individual animals. The... more
Archaeological investigations at the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode site (11S1232) in southwestern Illinois resulted in the recovery of over 5,400 domestic dog (Canis familiaris) remains, representing over 100 individual animals. The substantial size of this well-preserved faunal assemblage allows for a detailed study of Native American dogs during the Late Woodland Patrick phase (A.D. 650-900), Terminal Late Woodland (A.D. 900-1050), and Mississippian (A.D. 1050-1400) periods in the American Bottom. One aspect of this on-going, multifaceted research project is the documentation, analysis, and interpretation of prehistoric trauma and pathologies. This article presents a preliminary summary of the dog paleopathology evidence obtained thus far from the Janey B. Goode site.
The Russell site (11MS672) is a small bluff-top settlement in the northern American Bottom. Phase III investigations undertaken in advance of a residential development resulted in the excavation of 42 features associated with two... more
The Russell site (11MS672) is a small bluff-top settlement in the northern American Bottom. Phase III investigations undertaken in advance of a residential development resulted in the excavation of 42 features associated with two different components: an early Late Woodland (Mund phase) occupation represented by 14 pits, and a Mississippian (Moorehead phase) occupation represented by four wall-trench structures and 28 pits organized around an open space. The presence of mortuary activities indicates the Russell site may have functioned as a ritual node within the local Moorehead phase settlement system.
Archaeological investigations at the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode site (11S1232) in southwestern Illinois resulted in the recovery of over 5,400 domestic dog (Canis familiaris) remains, representing over 100 individual animals. The... more
Archaeological investigations at the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode site (11S1232) in southwestern Illinois resulted in the recovery of over 5,400 domestic dog (Canis familiaris) remains, representing over 100 individual animals. The substantial size of this well-preserved faunal assemblage allows for a detailed study of Native American dogs during the Late Woodland Patrick phase (A.D. 650-900), Terminal Late Woodland (A.D. 900-1050), and Mississippian (A.D. 1050-1400) periods in the American Bottom. One aspect of this on-going, multifaceted research project is the documentation, analysis, and interpretation of prehistoric trauma and pathologies. This article presents a preliminary summary of the dog paleopathology evidence obtained thus far from the Janey B. Goode site.
Lightning whelk shells from the Gulf of Mexico were used to make shell beads found at Greater Cahokia and other Mississippian sites. Disk bead crafting was different than columella bead crafting, since the shell materials are different.... more
Lightning whelk shells from the Gulf of Mexico were used to make shell beads found at Greater Cahokia and other Mississippian sites. Disk bead crafting was different than columella bead crafting, since the shell materials are different. Trobriand Islanders also used stone tools to make disk beads and are used as an ethnographic analogy. Coastal California tribes are also used as an ethnographic comparison for making columella beads. Columella beads were made with whelk columellas with the groove-and-snap technique. I propose that stone microdrills were used to drill disk beads, and biological materials augmented with grit were used to drill columella beads. Full-time bead crafters are indicated by time estimates to make beads.