THE HESTER SITE: AN EARLY ARCHAIC OCCUPATION IN MONROE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

161 Pages·2013·10.18 MB·English

THE HESTER SITE

Archaeological Report No. 5
THE HESTER SITE
fu,j EARLY ARCHAIC OcCUPATION
IN MoNROE CoUNTY} MISSISSIPPI
I. A
PRELIMINARY REpORT
SAMUEL O. BROOKES
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
. Elbert R. Hilliard, Director
Jackson
1979

CONTENTS
List of Plates . vi

List of Figures viii

List of Tables . x

Preface . . . • xi

Acknowledgements xiii

l. Introduction
2. Ceramic Analysis
3. Lithic Analysis: Basic Technology and Non-

Projectile-Point Tool Types . • . . • . . 6

4. Lithic Analysis: Dalton Assemblage . . . . 17

5. Lithic Analysis: Non-Dalton Projectile-Point Types 32

6. Theoretical Considerations • • • • • . • . . 45

Plates, Figures, and Tables . • • • 58

Appendix 1: Heat Treating . . . • • 125

Appendix 2: Radiocarbon Dates • . . • • • ••••• 127

Appendix 3: A Research Design for the Hester Site 130

Bibliography . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • 132
PLATES
1. Transitional Archaic-Woodland and Miller I Ceramics:

Wheeler Plain, Wheeler Simple-stamped, Alexander

Incised, Alexander Pinched, Saltillo Fabric-impressed 59

2. Miller II Ceramics: Baldwin Plain, Furrs Cord-marked 60

3. Miller III Ceramics: Tishomingo Plain, Tishomingo

Cord-marked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 61

4. Miller IV Ceramics: Roper Plain, Wheeler Check-stamped,

Mulberry Creek Cord-marked . . . . . . . . . • • • • •• 62

5. Miscellaneous Artifacts: piece esquillee, anvil marked by

.Ei-ece esquillee, "shuttle" bannerstone fragment, bifaces

with crenated fractures, biface with lateral snap . . •• 63

6. Inmon Cache: in situ, primary and secondary decortication

flakes, bifaces • . • . . . . • . . . • • . • . • • . . 64

7. Inmon Cache Flakes: primary and secondary decortication

flakes . • .• ••..•......•••..••.• 65

8. Dalton Assemblage Points • . . . . . • • • • . . . •• 66

9. Dalton Assemblage Artifacts: side and end scrapers, knife,

preform .•.....•.... 67

0 • • • • • • • • • • ••
10. Dalton Assemblage Artifacts: quartzite hammerstone, side

scraper/spokeshave, pieces esquillees, multidirectional

core, tabular flake, biface, side scraper, blade. • 68

11. Dalton Assemblage Artifacts: side scraper, bladelike

flakes, gravers, burins, end scrapers/gravers, side

scraper/spokeshave, piece esquillee . . . . . . . . • .. 69

12. Dalton Assemblage Artifacts: unworked cobble, side scraper,

bifaces. preforms . . • . . • . . . . . . . . • • . • •. 70

13. Dalton Assemblage Artifacts: sandstone nutstone, sandstone

abrader, unworked sandstone . • . . • . . .. 71

14. Big Sandy Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . 72

15. Decatur Points: initial and final stages . . • • 73

16. Projectile Points: Josselyn and Beachum (provisional types) 74

17. Projectile Points: Beachum (provisional type); Decatur,

Ecusta, and Big Sandy end scrapers; unidentified points. 75

18. Pine Tree Projectile Points: initial and advanced stages,

end scraper . . . . .. ....•.•..•.•..• 76

vi
vii
19. Pine Tree Projectile Points with Edge Wear: edges of

initial- and advanced-stage points, edge with broken

serrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • • . 77

20. Pine Tree Assemblage Tools: broken bifaces, adze, tabular

flakes, bladelike flakes with worked edges, piece esquillee,

notched side scraper . • . • . . . . . . . • • • . 78

21. Pine Tree Assemblage tools: sandstone abraders, grooved
stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

22. Miscellaneous Projectile Points: Jude, Autauga, Lost Lake,

Plevna, Greenbrier, Eva II-Morrow Mountain I, Madison.. 80
FIGURES
1. Contour Map of Hester Site . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

2. Physiographic Regions of Mississippi . . • . . . . 82

3. Early Archaic Sites in Southeastern United States 83

4. Chronology for Lower Mississippi and Tombigbee Valleys 84

5. Tentative Ceramic Chronology for Upper-Central

Tombigbee Valley . • . .. •..•.•• 85

6. Paleo-Environmental Sequence for Southeastern

United States .... 86

7. North-South Profile, Square 75S-35S 87

8. North-South Profile, Square 35S-5N . • 88

9. North-South Profile, Square 5N-45N . 89

10. North-South Profile, Square 45N-75N 90

11. Horizontal Plan and East-West Profile,

Square l70S-l45E • • • . • . • . . . 91

12. North-South Profile, Square l70S-320E . • • • • 92

13. North-South Profile, Square 85S-l50E . • 93

14. Flake Morphology . • . • . . • • • 94

15. Utilized Flakes and Pieces Esquillees:

transverse, lateral, and oblique-transverse uses;

denticulate; unusual forms; pieces esquillees;

piece esquillee on Decatur point . . • • . • . 95

16. Linear Flow Model for Prehistoric Chipped-Stone

Industry in the Cache Basin, Arkansas •••• 96

17. Linear Flow Model Showing Biface Breakage

at Hester Site ..••....•..•• 97

18. Burin Function and Dalton Zone Burin:

cutting and scraping functions; striking platform

of Dalton zone burin on true blade, dorsal and

ventral views; preparation of burin working edge. 98

19. Chopper from Big Sandy Zone 99

20. Adzes: adze preform, adze .•••....•••••••• 100

21. Adzes: adzes, adze butt, adze bit ...••• 101

22. Adzes: adze, recycled adzes used as core and

lamellar blade core . . . . 102

viii
ix
23. Dalton Assemblage Points . . • . 103

24. Dalton Assemblage Points . • • • • 104

25. Miscellaneous Projectile Points:

Jude, Greenbrier, Plevna, Eva II, Autauga,

Morrow Mountain I, Madison ..•••••••••• 105

26. Pine Tree Points: initial and advanced stages,

end scraper • . . • • • • . • • . . • • . • 106

27. Beachum (provisional type) and Decatur Points:

Beachum; initial, advanced, and final stages

Decatur • • • • • . • • . . . • . . 107

28. Big Sandy and Lost Lake Points:

Big Sandy with graver tip, Lost Lake end

scraper • • • • • • • • . . • 108

29. Early Archaic Point Chronology • 109

30. End Scraper Edge-Angle Values. • 110