The Smithport Landing Site was initially explored by Monroe Dodd, Jr.,
and the author between 1934 and 1940.[1] It was the first site at which
we found burials and whole pottery; it was also the first site in
Louisiana which was identified as an Alto Focus component (Webb, 1948)
and was recognized as such in the Davis Site report (Newell and Krieger,
1949: 195, 197, Fig. 62). In describing the Bossier Focus, Smithport
Landing was one of 15 sites used for comparison and discussion of the
relative incidence of Bossier Focus pottery types, and of several
pottery complexes. First suggested in my 1948 paper, and elaborated in a
more recent study (Webb, 1961) of 20 sites in northwestern Louisiana, is
the thesis that the Bossier Focus developed out of a simultaneous spread
of Alto and Coles Creek peoples or influences across this area in
post-Marksville times. Smithport Landing was one of the key sites in
this study, because of the admixture of Alto and Coles Creek pottery
types and the presence of a minor Bossier Focus manifestation.
It therefore seems appropriate to publish the available information
about this site, despite the limited excavations conducted nearly 30
years ago. The criticism has been made that too many foci in the Caddoan
area have been based on excavation of a single site and that the Alto
Focus, for example, is based on the Davis Site alone. The information
presented herein concerning Smithport Landing and other Alto Focus
manifestations in Louisiana was available to, and used by, Krieger as
indicated in the Davis report. The details should have been published
for other students, however, especially since burials of the Alto period
are limited in number.