The Smithport Landing Site is located in Township 13 N, Range 12 W,
sections 23 and 26, on land owned at present by Edward Lafitte of
Carmel, but at the time of our excavation by Guy Sample of Shreveport.
When first visited in 1934, much of the site was in cultivation; now it
is in pasturage or woodlands. Evidences of occupation were found on
portions of four hills, heaviest on hills 2 and 3 (Fig. 2). Larger than
most sites in this area, we estimated that a total of 40 to 50 acres was
occupied. We first explored Hill 1, a low hill which sloped gently to
the bottom lands and had been in cultivation for a long time. The
topsoil was thin and sheet erosion exposed a number of pottery sherds,
projectile points, and other stone objects. It is possible that this was
a separate site, since it is set apart by a wide stream bed from the
other occupied hills, but the artifact types were not different. The
area of occupation covered about five acres.
Hill 2 is higher, about 20 feet above the old lake bed, and slopes
rather sharply southward to the lowlands. The top is gently rounded and
had been put into cultivation only a few years before our first visit.
The topsoil was very dark and many large pottery sherds were found; in
fact, this hill showed the heaviest occupation of the site, over an area
of 20 to 30 acres. The burials (Fig. 3) which are described later
occurred on the crest of this hill, immediately overlooking the old
lake.
Hills 3 and 4 run north-south and slope down to a small stream which
separates them. The occupation areas, chiefly along the slopes to the
stream, are estimated at five to ten acres on each hill, although we
were uncertain about Hill 4 because it was partly wooded. There were two
tenant houses in a nearby deserted field. On the back part of Hill 2 and
east of the main tenant house, very black soil, found over a radius of
12-15 feet, contained large sherds, numerous animal bones or bone
fragments, and ashes (Fig. 2). Two test pits showed that the black
refuse soil was two to three feet in depth and ashes indicated extensive
cooking. Our notes show no evidence of a house floor or post molds,
although we did not trench the area.
[Illustration: Fig. 2. Sketch of Smithport landing Site, not to
scale. Note occupational areas on four hills, burial area and heavy
midden on Hill 2.]