byPaul W. ParmaleeCurator of ZoologyIllinois State Museum, Springfield
byLeonard W. BlakeSt. Louis, Missouri
There is always a possibility that any sample, particularly a small one, may not be fully representative. The collection from the Lawhorn site consists of fragments of seven cobs, all either 10 or 12 rowed. Three of the cobs have cupule widths ranging from 7.7 to 8.6 mm. It differs from a larger sample from the Banks site, which is in nearby Crittenden County and which may have been occupied at about the same time (Table 6), in having a higher mean row number and greater median cupule width. Corn from both these sites shows evidence of a mixture with low rowed varieties to a lesser extent than that from the other sites shown inTable 6, except that from Mound 34 at Cahokia, which is presumably earlier (Table 7).
Previous work on corn from the Northern Mississippi Valley indicates that row number tended to decrease and cupule width to increase in that area in time in the protohistoric and historic periods. This has been interpreted as being the result of an increasing mixture of predominantly 8 rowed Northern Flint with wide cupules with earlier 14 rowed Tropical Flints slightly modified by possible traces of Mexican Pyramidal Dent. It is reasonable to expect that the proportion of the hardier Northern Flints would increase more rapidly in the Northern part of the valley than in the Southern, particularly, if there was a minor climatic cooling trend in the period of about 1200-1700 A.D., as Griffin (1960, p. 27) has suggested.
Northern Flint was present in the Southeast as well as in the North before European settlement. Brown and Anderson (1947, pp. 8-13) found Northern Flint in collections of corn from archaeological sites in Northeastern Alabama, Eastern Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia as well as in greater concentrations in Western New York and the Upper Ohio Valley. Actually, a lot of corn at the Missouri Botanical Garden from a Georgia site poses some of the same problems as that from Lawhorn. Mean row number is just under 11 and there are no 14 rowed ears. Cupule width of all but a few of the cobs ranges from 7 to 11 mm. with a median of 9 mm. It is suspected that the wide cupules on the three Lawhorn cobs might be attributed to diffusion of Northern Flint from the Southeast as readily as from the North, possibly in diluted form. In the case of the Banks site, Cutler and Blake (1961) suggested that the influence of Northern Flint may have reached there in the form of a mixture rather than directly or, alternatively, that low row numbered corn may have entered from the Southwest where 8 and 10 rowed corn was dominant after 700 A.D.
[1]K. Th. = Kernel ThicknessC.W. = Cupule Width, a measure of the cob cavity in which a pair of grains is borne.
[1]K. Th. = Kernel ThicknessC.W. = Cupule Width, a measure of the cob cavity in which a pair of grains is borne.
byCharles H. NashMemphis, Tennessee
The 35 burials from which we can get some data concerning sex and age groups seem to represent a relatively homogeneous group. Over half of the 26 adult burials were either too fragmentary for any further determination or the bone was not recovered during the course of excavation. In such instances, age group associations were made in the field. Burial determinations in Tables8-11were made in the laboratory.
Of the 35 burials, twelve, or 34% had grave goods which included, in all cases, pottery vessels. Two burials had single beads with them but these were probably items of dress and not mortuary offerings. The only other object found was a questionable association of a flint drill. There were only three burials, 9%, which had more than one vessel in association and, of these, one had two bowls, another had a bottle and a bowl and the third had a bottle, a bowl and a small jar. Twenty three, or 66%, of the burials had no grave goods with them. The pottery vessels were divided about evenly between bottles and bowls.
There were fourteen adult burials from which closer age criteria were available.
The two females in their early twenties were not representative of the burial customs of these people, being in fact depositions of scattered bone showing little or no orientation and obviously not articulated. The crushing of the bone was probably due to earth moving machinery of recent years, but the general broken nature of the bones may more likely be the work of the Indians themselves. These bones appeared to have been laid on the ground and then covered over and it would seem that both had been interred at the same time. Both individuals show heavy charring of the bone; in one instance the feet were intensely charred with the rest of the bone showing progressively less toward the skull and the skull showing none. The most intense heat was obviously at the feet. The hands and lower arms also show heavy charring. The other individual was more generally charred but once again little or no burning appeared around the skull. These burials were not cremated at the spot at which they were found since there was no evidence of a heavy fire there. It must be assumed that the burning occurred elsewhere and that after further mutilation the bones were finally interred at this place. It is difficult not to conclude that these young ladies were victims of tribal displeasure.
Insufficient skeletal material has been recovered and is in too fragmentary condition to yield a great deal of information. It might be well to mention atthis point that ‘week end’ archaeology is hard put to produce a satisfactory record of this type of material. The days’ activities of locating and staking a square, preliminary excavation and organization take up so much time that once a skeleton is located there is insufficient time to uncover it properly, record it and remove the bones with minimum damage. Even if the material is in good condition it is hard to do an adequate job in one day; if the bone is in a poor state of preservation the job becomes much more complicated. The specimens come easy but to clean, photograph, record and remove skeletal material will almost always require a second day. The thought comes to mind that with proper preparation much could be removed encased in protective materials for further processing at home thereby speeding up the process in the field. There are a number of ways this can be done, from using plaster impregnated burlap over the entire burial to wrapping bones in crumpled newspaper with much of the surrounding earth still in place and carefully placing in cartons large enough to hold them freely. Transportation must be handled with equal care. Much important information concerning the people themselves, their diet and health can be learned from skeletal material and no amateur “week end” archaeologist should feel free to ignore this class of data or throw it away.
This sampling of skeletons is perhaps ample to give a general picture of the burial customs of these people. The universal position was supine and apparently laid out on top of the ground or in a shallow scooped out grave no deeper than the body itself. This then was presumably covered with a mound of earth and possibly marked by logs until decay had once again leveled the ground. There was no evidence of the use of pits. Grave goods, when present, were always pottery vessels presumably containing food and water for the departed. These were placed at the head. There was little or no evidence of clothing or decoration other than the two beads mentioned before.
This burial complex is more like the extended burials of the Walls focus to the south than other comparable groups. Even the use of bottles and bowls together is suggestive. The almost total absence of grave goods other than pottery and the positioning around the head is again a Walls trait, as is the complete absence of other grave goods with many burials. This is the major evidence of Walls focus traits among the Lawhorn folk and even here the bottle form is at quite some variance.
FIGURE 48.
FIGURE 48.
Missouri Archaeological SocietyAchievement Award—1960Be it known to all whom these presents come thatFRANCIS L. STUBBSin recognition of his sustained and active interest in the preservation of archaeological materials; for his very active participation in the survey, excavation, and exhibit work of the Society; for his many contributions to public information and education through work with the News Letter and by lectures; and for his help in Society business matters—is hereby accorded the award of and is designated Man of the Year 1960 of the Missouri Archaeological Society.Respectfully submitted by the Awards CommitteeVirginia Watson, Charles R. Steen, Waldo R. Wedel, ChairmanIn the name of the Society this certificate is awarded and Francis L. Stubbs is designated Man of the Year 1960 and his name is inscribed on the Achievement Plaque displayed in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Missouri.Attested byHenry W. HamiltonRichard A. MarshallPresidentSecretary-Treasurer
Missouri Archaeological SocietyAchievement Award—1960
Be it known to all whom these presents come that
FRANCIS L. STUBBS
in recognition of his sustained and active interest in the preservation of archaeological materials; for his very active participation in the survey, excavation, and exhibit work of the Society; for his many contributions to public information and education through work with the News Letter and by lectures; and for his help in Society business matters—is hereby accorded the award of and is designated Man of the Year 1960 of the Missouri Archaeological Society.
Respectfully submitted by the Awards CommitteeVirginia Watson, Charles R. Steen, Waldo R. Wedel, Chairman
In the name of the Society this certificate is awarded and Francis L. Stubbs is designated Man of the Year 1960 and his name is inscribed on the Achievement Plaque displayed in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Missouri.
Figure 49. Francis Stubbs, Achievement Award Recipient, 1960.
Figure 49. Francis Stubbs, Achievement Award Recipient, 1960.
Figure 50.
Figure 50.
Missouri Archaeological SocietyAchievement Award—1961Be it known to all whom these presents come thatHARRY and FLORENCE COLLINSin recognition of their active participation in the preservation of archaeological sites and materials; for their outstanding interest in and support of archaeological salvage work; for their very active role in the State Fair exhibits of the Society and in other public relations work; and for their sustained efforts toward public enlightenment and education through talks to various clubs, societies, and other local groups—are hereby accorded the award of and designated Man of the Year 1961 of the Missouri Archaeological Society.Respectfully submitted by the Awards CommitteeVirginia Watson, Charlie R. Steen, Waldo R. Wedel, ChairmanIn the name of the Society this certificate is awarded and Harry and Florence Collins are designated collectively, Man of the Year 1961 and their names are inscribed on the Achievement Plaque displayed in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Missouri.Attested byHenry W. HamiltonRichard A. MarshallPresidentSecretary-Treasurer
Missouri Archaeological SocietyAchievement Award—1961
Be it known to all whom these presents come that
HARRY and FLORENCE COLLINS
in recognition of their active participation in the preservation of archaeological sites and materials; for their outstanding interest in and support of archaeological salvage work; for their very active role in the State Fair exhibits of the Society and in other public relations work; and for their sustained efforts toward public enlightenment and education through talks to various clubs, societies, and other local groups—are hereby accorded the award of and designated Man of the Year 1961 of the Missouri Archaeological Society.
Respectfully submitted by the Awards CommitteeVirginia Watson, Charlie R. Steen, Waldo R. Wedel, Chairman
In the name of the Society this certificate is awarded and Harry and Florence Collins are designated collectively, Man of the Year 1961 and their names are inscribed on the Achievement Plaque displayed in the Museum of Anthropology of the University of Missouri.
Figure 51. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Collins, Achievement Award Recipient, 1961
Figure 51. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Collins, Achievement Award Recipient, 1961
Figure 52. Sam C. Irvine, Award Plaque Recipient, 1961
Figure 52. Sam C. Irvine, Award Plaque Recipient, 1961
ToSam C. Irvine
In recognition of his 25 years of consistent help to the study of the archaeology of Missouri, in survey, excavation, and public relations.
October 28, 1962