A New Look at Kincaid: Magnetic Survey of a Large Mississippian Town

Butler, Brian M.; Clay, R. Berle; Hargrave, Michael L.; Peterson, Staffan D.; Schwegman, John E.; Schwegman, John A.; Welch, Patricia

doi:10.1179/sea.2011.30.1.002

Cited by 25 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Investigators have traditionally used vertical two-dimensional GPR profiles (Garrison, 1998;Welch et al, 2006;Pluckhahn et al, 2010;Thompson et al, 2011), and more recently electrical resistivity pseudo-sections (Monaghan and Peebles, 2010;Kassabaum et al, 2014) and down-hole magnetic susceptibility (McNutt et al, 2012;Rodning et al, 2013;Kassasbaum et al, 2014) to understand internal mound structure and to interpret the sequence of mound construction episodes. Others have demonstrated the utility of magnetic gradiometry in locating subsurface structural remains on a mound's final summit (Butler et al, 2011;King et al, 2011). Some investigators in other parts of the world have experimented with GPR time-slices to create horizontal maps of successive mound-use episodes, identify buried tombs and reconstruct mound manufacturing techniques, with varying degrees of success (Kamei et al, 2000;Campana et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Construction History, Labour Investment and Social Change at Ocmulgee National Monument's Mound A, Georgia, USA, Using Ground‐penetrating Radar

Bigman

Lanzarone

2014

Archaeological Prospection

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Prehistoric societies from around the world constructed monumental mounded architecture (earthen pyramids) for a variety of functions, including the foundation for temples or a leader's residence, community stages and cemeteries. Flat-topped earthen mounds often have complicated histories where the function, size, orientation and summit architecture varied throughout time. This paper presents the results from a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted on the summit of Mound A, the largest prehistoric Native American mound at Ocmulgee National Monument located in central Georgia, USA. Our study indicates that performing depth-slice analyses of flat-topped mounds can effectively map successive construction stages over distinct periods of archaeological prehistory. The GPR data show distinctive low-amplitude, discontinuous stratigraphic variations that we interpret to be related to mound fill, which are interrupted by high-amplitude coherent summit reflections. We also maintain sufficient vertical and horizontal resolution to identify summit architecture on earlier mound-use episodes, which is imaged by distinct reflection geometry as patterned linear, square and circular high-amplitude events in GPR depth-slices. The authors recorded four possible mound summits, the western expansion of the mound, and the shifting location and shape of summit architecture; in addition to resolving a discrepancy regarding the location of early excavation units from the 1930s. Shallow geophysical data indicate a decline in the volume of material used over the course of mound construction, and by inference, a decline in the size of the labour force used to construct each stage. We conclude that the power and influence of Ocmulgee's early leadership subsided over the course of Mound A's use, and may have been contested by an emerging faction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Construction History, Labour Investment and Social Change at Ocmulgee National Monument's Mound A, Georgia, USA, Using Ground‐penetrating Radar

Bigman

Lanzarone

2014

Archaeological Prospection

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“…After 650 CE, Kincaid was repopulated during the Late Woodland Lewis phase, which transitioned into the Mississippian period sometime between 1000 and 1150 CE (Pursell, 2016). The Mississippian occupation (1150-1450 CE) is the best studied at Kincaid because large earthworks, bastioned fortifications, and an extensive village were constructed during this time (Butler et al, 2011). Between 1400 and 1450 CE, Mississippians abandoned Kincaid, along with much of the central Mississippi and Ohio River valleys (Cobb and Butler, 2002;Milner and Chaplin, 2010), in what has been suggested to be a response to a severe ∼100-yrlong drought between 1350 and 1450 CE (Bird et al, 2017).…”

Section: Study Site and Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we present new data from Avery Lake, a floodplain lake located directly adjacent to the Kincaid Mounds archaeological site in southern Illinois, USA (Bird et al, 2019;Butler et al, 2011). Specifically, we used geochemical and isotopic methods to quantify Pb pollution and its provenance through time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-Columbian lead pollution from Native American galena processing and land use in the midcontinental United States

Bird

Wilson

Escobar

et al. 2019

Geology

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The presence and sources of pre-Columbian (before 1492 CE) lead (Pb) pollution in the midcontinental United States were investigated using geochemical and Pb isotope analyses on sediment cores recovered from Avery Lake, a floodplain lake located directly adjacent to the Kincaid Mounds archaeological site on the lower Ohio River, Illinois. Geochemical results indicate the presence of Pb pollution during the Baumer (300 BCE to 300 CE) and Mississippian (1150–1450 CE) occupations, and since the 1800s. Pb isotope results link Mississippian Pb pollution to the processing and use of galena primarily from southeastern and/or central Missouri, and to a lesser extent the upper Mississippi River valley, with ∼1.5 t (metric tons) of galena-derived Pb deposited in Avery Lake during this time. Pb pollution during the Baumer phase, equating to ∼0.4 t of Pb, was not accompanied by a Pb isotope excursion and most likely originated from local biomass burning. These results provide new information about the environmental impacts associated with pre-Columbian Native Americans’ interaction with and utilization of their landscape and its resources.

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“…Mississippian archaeology, which spans the centuries before European contact in the southeastern USA, can be greatly enhanced by prospection techniques (e.g. see Bigman et al ., ; Butler et al ., ; Hargrave, ; Lockhart et al ., ). Although archaeological features on many North American sites are subtle, Mississippian features tend to be prominent, producing high‐contrast geophysical signatures – especially magnetically (Johnson et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Big Picture at Hollywood: Geophysical and Archaeological Investigations at a Mississippian Mound Centre

Haley

2014

Archaeological Prospection

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Hollywood Mounds is a late Mississippian mound centre located in northwestern Mississippi, USA. Although only four mounds are visible today topographically, prospection techniques have revealed additional mounds and other buried features that extend well beyond the site core. These features were burned, which allows them to produce highcontrast magnetic gradient anomalies. By augmenting this data with an efficient excavation strategy, the sequence of this unique cultural landscape has been reconstructed. These findings provide insight into the development of a Mississippian mound centre in this arearesults that would not be possible without archaeological prospection.

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A New Look at Kincaid: Magnetic Survey of a Large Mississippian Town

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

Investigating Construction History, Labour Investment and Social Change at Ocmulgee National Monument's Mound A, Georgia, USA, Using Ground‐penetrating Radar

Investigating Construction History, Labour Investment and Social Change at Ocmulgee National Monument's Mound A, Georgia, USA, Using Ground‐penetrating Radar

Pre-Columbian lead pollution from Native American galena processing and land use in the midcontinental United States

The Big Picture at Hollywood: Geophysical and Archaeological Investigations at a Mississippian Mound Centre

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