an archaeological survey of hale and greene counties, alabama

128 Pages·2009·2.71 MB·English

AN ARCHABOLOGICAL SURVEY OF

HALE AND GREENE COUNTING, ALARAWA

by

Jerry a, Nielsen,

Fora W. O°Hear,
and

nelos W, Moorehead,

A final repost on work dane tn eooperetion
with tha Stabama Hislorical Commission
mudes vonteact number AHG 62472

University Mazeums
University, Alabama
1919
IKTRODUCTION

using che FoIL aud winter months of 1972-73, an avehaeolugival si wey

of tale ard Groene Counties was conducted by the Universily of Slahana,
Universigy \useuis, under contract with Lie Alabama IlisLerical Commissieo
‘Thia woxk was made posuibte through u Padevel watching fms grant

David L, Dedarnetie, curutor of Mend Slate Mouituent and aacoctate
Droleasnn of enthropology et the University of Alabama, war projcet étreutor

Terry J, Wielseu, sult amineclogisl for the Univursiny, geod v9 field super

vinor during the work,

SURVEY METHODS,

{fn preparation for dis survey all avatlable maps were sblained to thsuce
swcournte Iucation of siles. Por thid parpose eotnty toad maps, soll survey
Iuupe and booklabs, eousty yeologicel mapa and uny U. 8. Gevloyieal duvey
loppgrayhic maps coutaining portions of the suave area were bang

When these mags were gateved togelher, a search was mado of [be
Teuexewore fow slerences to aboriginal sles tu the survey area. Alea, a
seareh of the urchacolegicn| files ul Movnd Slale Siononeat wee conAoled

Jor amy previously noted or zeuorded areas of aborigiou! habitation or usage,
Any silas found by dhese procodures were recorded on maps aa accurately
1s possfble with the snfermation available,

The i

inl Fiold Work of Ibs suavey entailed the use af 1é-toot flat
busiomed boat wita ae 28+ horsepower Joluson outboard motor for exaunination
‘of cho hanks of the Biacls Warriur River in both counties, At this time, ny
‘igh hanks ov eroded faove vf ists were examined for urtifaels ar shmriginal
midden deposits

Partog the survey peried, the watens of the Tumble River weve at
auch & high level that teas felt too dangerous: to use the boat in this viver,
‘The main survey of this area was performed from a pickup truck and eonststed
of the exeminacion of areas which could be reached by land, A four-waee!
sive Ford Bronco was used w sain access to areas the pickup could not
reach, Most often ibe survey panty Would dive as close tn a prominiug acca
as pussible un walk the rematndsy of the vay. Orcasioually, whole days were
‘spent in gaining access to an aren ou foot and then finding nothing

In folowian un reports of sitex from the (iterahize, duute Were some
times areut Ww ayavail. Whether such reported sites hati never evinced, had
since been destroyed, or were covered ia vegetation and averlooked is nol
Iknorea. in some instances i is fell with a degree of eevtaluly Uist the sites
never actually wxisted but had samchow beoune imbedded in tonal loxe, fn
snine uf “hie war in southern Grocae Couniy where wa had reports of en
Indian mown, och in tae Litersture ana from local inhabitants, The site

as known as “Indian LY" and we were given expliotl dirueLions bn fe. Arta
2 complete morsiop’s iy over very bed Logetug soade, we found the exported
‘monet ie be a prononued meiural hl! whieh had been terraces’ hy plowing.
‘Nu ovidenos whatrocver of aboriginal conatmictioa or habitation wee Lesnd.
‘Tee veocuning factor in ts ete wae that a prevfoualy tncuporled aborigieal
camp site wae foul during this seureh.

Whenever a promising area was located, auuther time-consmiring
factor came info Tay, “This waa the obtaining of permiesion ws enter » rosted

area, which avsessitated the finding of he land wanue, At times asimple in

tiey ab the neavese Louies wae seffieleal, aul svcastonally Wo aad to apens
Yalunble time al ibe county seats tuoi dom the Lind owners, Never were
‘we cenled accuse to am aren ouce we at Ioented tne proper individuals. The
people of these countica weve exceptions! in thett aceepéacoe of Ine fie onest
Nomy ownces accompanied us through thet land la shaw a8 arene where they
hud uu artifact ag boys. To the reuidonte of Hale andl Greene Counties,

we ave # dene of gratitude,

Upon Ihe lovation of a eile, x thorough exaumination of the gromud sur
face Was nude io searci of urlilucts wich which lo identity the stto's eocu-
pation, Viriuslly al of Bue sitra yiekded only minfmnal an: cuuls of endbural
mutovial, Originally, it tad been planned ro make cuatoulled surface collections
in hopes of delormining specific anbitation areas. The ack of sufficiont
sruutils of arcitects moet nften fel tos simple gathering of all porsihle

artifacts from he sites’ stviavug, These artifacts were placed in bage

‘with the site umber recorded on the iront. The position af the site
corked ae arcurately a8 possible ua uny map on whieh 7 cutld bo located, ard
@ sile survey farm of the type oned by the University of Alabama, ome

Stace Monument, was filled aul. the atte appaured oo have =

iguificunt
sntuunt of enttucal deposits, a emall trowel or shovel Kolo was dug to doter=
song the daplh of the auiddien. This procedure allowed ns ty soeke tentative
ovalustions of the silos as to tha desirability of axeqvalion sf much is feasible
‘a de future,

‘The material gathered from the ausfaces of the sites wan eloqued and
‘saalyzert of tho archaeological laburalary nt Blound Site Moawuent. At his
time the site wurvey farms were typed up fas the state atte Llve maintained
sere. Algo, amy artitéonul information not proviously recowded wee eubesed
oto the form.

‘Thwouphout the survey weather contitions were a deoiding factwe in the
degree ‘a which an area wus examined. It had heco decided at the loptwtng
of the euewer that acess world be vet up for examination on a time achudule
To nexste to posefollily Unat ary axea would aut be investigauad icemuse of
Jack of Hine, wa hae to follow the time wchevlule closely. IF bad wuuther nde
ed the work during ono of these parfods, then that avea did aot reectve as ex
tensive an examination as ou visited chising gon wealhox. However, every
schodled asaa was vised,

Tewas imowa af lho incentiun af the survey Ihnt the catice ucrluee avons
OF Ee caunties cuuld not he examined for sites; this would be plysicatly im=

Possible, Hetuer, il wen fele ul the survey would contor on areue which
vould be hypothesiaed to coouiin major, impottunl sites. In viher words,
sites of inuch magnitude woold rot be lueated in the uplanl hills on ratnor,
uterusthant srbucarios, ‘Thus the areas along the major civern aud their
Junge (rfbulasias were iuvestigaled the most Woreaghly. ‘Trips in the interior
0! the counties in search of aties wer aol ae concexttated. Kere the survoy
consisted of wourching the nuinediace hanks uf eresiis when they Were crossed

by sion saads. Aw we had ox

selad, na major sites were looared om Uhr
email tilaulusies,
1n the following diseusaion® of che sites located in Ilale and Crsene

Counties, ic will be noticed thar many of these aites aad been treviuesly re

corded vr noted in the Mtoratare or in the [les at Moone State Monument,
Tue majority of tkece were omly avantily noted, af muany hud never beer
sceuruicly tocated ur pratessinnally exaiained. Therefore, since must of
those are majur wiles, wa derobed muh of aur tine w tbeir examination

aud reluesss
CULTURAT. BACKGROUND

Iw order to beter the unulerstanding of the aboriginal prehistory of “ke
survey ies, a briet summary of the eruhavology of this portion af Sfabarv
4m presented, Tis, the reaier oan better comprehend tne rite discusstous,

si

rhovigiual poviods of development and habitation sve been zen
evnlaged fou Alabama and the Southeastern United States: Paico-Indian
‘Transitional Paleo-Tndign, Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, and Historie
Indian, Cultural ramatns of all but the fist of these nenfods have boon found
in the survey ares,

“The folowing is 9 summary, by thetr various enbdiisions, uf eucl
uborigina! netiod recoguied in the survey area,

‘Transitional 1

Jao-Indian
‘hie peviod of probictorte Indias Aabitation my Alakamaa waa defined a

the Siantietd-Worloy luff Shelter in Cather! Consty (NeJaznotte, Kurjeck ara

Caubeon 1982). Aé thin site a collection af extents aud data whet underlay

Uyival Archaic evtifacts wea fell w differ siguificanily fram the sabssquant

period and show a relationship tw the euelice Palao-Indian period, Tt was telt
tbat the neople who hud Ioll these artifacts depended ulmool aotely am the haneing

of enimals, a isujor distinction frou the luler Archate inusters and suluurere.
‘The evidence of a lent af lanceolate and aide-nowhed projectile poine trad:—
ions suiveu fo the asswimption tial this represented « bramaitfonal period of
ential development,

‘his period wes dstrd by radiacashon at dhe Seanfielt-Wooley ec more

than 9, 000 years apo,

archaic

Early Ayetaie (7000-4000 B,C, }
‘The apweavouce of ailing atoucs iy x dlagnostic trait for fhe deinitiom
of tae Arehaic patiod. Jo the Barly Archaie, milling stones wore unsltnred,
esnert durvugh use, Unlface toot gush as were common in the Trmnatifonsl
Paleo period persisted, although biftce wols icuame increasingly mene
eorcmmon. Pola yes were of a wide va‘

ly of forma auch as alemmed, comer

notched, Side-nulehed até trisngular, ‘The aflatl was used lor the propelston
of shally Epped with those Foluts Io the hondug of enimaals, To fate, ce

canlieet clicletal ramains i the caster Untled Stiles re of this period ard

\werr fomnd ot the Stunfield-Worluy Bluff Saczter

The people of dis periai wore wandering mmurers sad gatherers, Gun~

stole noving f scare’ of food. Tanir rather precagivus cusomy tide
Saat they teavel In small groupe, probably eonsistiug of extmded families or
hanes

Midas Arehate ¢av00-2009 D,€,}

The speciaticnd subsistence ise of the mulluring af freshlar vhell-

fish supplemented by the gathering of Plan! foods and tka aunting of auimwts
fe the ballmark of the Middle Archafe, In the Teanessen Valley of Nocto

Alabait oussive uecumnlaUons vf shellfish remains are dntnble to this peciod,

now commonly si

"Sue Mound Avchaio. "At this ime polished slane tools
dl cemanuenls were made, milliny sinnan assumed presurined shapes, sand
tone und stontite vessels ware made, and projavitle points were lasgs, brosd,
comer-nnéched aad slurnmed in fort

site hurye sine of many uf theve sites, cepeeially thore ou the Yenneuse
River, indicate thee thoy were inhabited by fairty lange enuupe uf people, per
Japs on a seasoucl basis, At times of the year when high waler ar ather
tactnrn made the yalheriog of shellfish undesisable, these clana oe possibly
Lriuel uoiee may havo split info swuller groups aud gone inlo the uplanvs aloag
the trcbutaries in search of unimals and plaut fouls, “Nu large acevmulscious

of ahelltish remains such az those found in the Teumessee Valley were enc:

tevedin the survey area,
Luly Avehete @690~1000 B,C.)

This period is fete to represent 2 transitional peniod Lea ty the sutt~
sequent Woodlaud period, Perhapa at the end of thie peried r shortly there
ater, pottoty tempered with vegetable fibers was introduced into the area,
Sloue vesuely continued to be made aud muy have served as roodehs for the
‘eeudely shaped fiber tempered pollery vessels. The gathwring of shettfiab
orame lesa importmul as a subsistence activity, though the cause of dis is
not cigar at tho moment, New projuctile pont styles were inkcodaced amd

‘copmer ieads and sell dige luads and shell peadante appeared.
\Wovstand (1960-899 B.C.)
Again we torn to Nott Alubaie for eur informacion concerti tls
paviod in the etueey urox. AE dH me che fiber varpoced poten vine vaplaved

Ds a fund tempered ware wilt pudal supports, lnown a Alexaauicr Sczloe pot

levy. ‘This wave was coiled end well made, ¥ollowiug and overtapping the
Alexander ware ame pntcery tempoxed wilh limestone. Divided into nvo ports,
easly and Inte, this ware was ducidedty bland as compared wits che often clab-
ovaiely treisod aud pinched Alesandex pottery. On the limestone tentpered poi
tery, fubrit: marking predominated carly and was later replaced 2y pla and
carved paddle stamped warca in the beginaiag of Uke Middle Woodland.

Toe peoples of thie period were bunters und yethevons, although the

collecting of shelifist was vt u mujer preoueapation us Tt had bean fn the Middle

Archalg. Agriculture may have heen elplent o¢ tala eaely dale, Projectile
poinls binded i br emeller In gige Uuan before, and yessibly the bow and arrow

recived near Uhis Line. Many of the Late Archain exalts contumed #ts only

minor changes.

Tn.ke strvoy arva only sligat vontact with the culu:ves af Waxth Alahams
18 ovident during this yerog, Rather tha couren for some of the trails (cor
fui) upgeard om be to the south, in the Mobile Bay area. In North Aluburau
thie period ts most distinctive)

represuawd Ly the ereution of conical burial

mounds contsining standardized grave offerings of galens, compen, marlae