by J. M. Shippee
In the latter part of August 1956, Mr. Andrew H. McCulloch of St.
Charles, Missouri addressed a letter to the Department of Anthropology,
University of Missouri, in which he told of the discovery of buried
remains which were thought to be of Indian origin. Road construction in
a new housing area just north of St. Charles, Missouri had exposed an
Indian camp site on high ground overlooking the Missouri-Mississippi
River flood plain. Mr. McCulloch had been informed by the land owner,
Mr. J. D. Wright, that a portion of a grave had been opened, exposing
bones of humans and animals and broken pottery vessels.
The letter was delivered to Carl H. Chapman, then Director of American
Archaeology at the university, who visited the site and decided that
further investigations were advisable. Professor Chapman directed the
writer to make limited investigations at the site. This work was done in
3 days beginning September 1, with the very capable assistance of
Leonard Blake and Winton Meyer of St. Louis, and Robert Wright of St.
Charles.
The new road cut which exposed the remains is located at the eastern
edge of an old field, which has an elevation of 90 feet above the river
flood plain. Erosion had removed much of the dark topsoil from above the
light colored loess, which apparently is very deep. At five locations in
the road cut, dark deposits of cultural debris were observed in clearly
defined pits which had been cross-sectioned by the grading machines.
These pits were grouped at the deeper excavations for the road which
were approximately 500 feet apart. At several places, in loose earth
along the road, Indian artifacts were found where the grading operations
had deposited them; their exact provenience is therefore, doubtful.
Pits _A_ and _B_ were at the north end of the field and were exposed in
the vertical bank at the east side of the new road. Both had been gouged
by curious persons, and nothing is known of the material removed prior
to the work described here.
Pit _A_ could be clearly defined in outline beneath 28 inches of
overburden. This overburden consisted of 4 inches of top soil and 24
inches of light colored soil. The pit outlined by the cultural fill
measured 8 inches deep, and had been approximately 40 inches in
diameter. Excavation later revealed that the deposit extended only 13
inches into the bank, the greater part of the deposit having been
previously removed. The sterile overburden was examined as it was
removed from above the pit. The pit fill was so compact that Blake had
difficulty in examining it. The deposit contained 3 rimsherds (Fig. 1)
and 31 bodysherds in the upper part, and considerable bone scrap of
animals in the lower. A trace of burned clay and a few small lumps of
fired limestone were scattered in the fill. Charred wood was collected
for radiocarbon dating, and according to Dr. J. B. Griffin of the
University of Michigan and Professor H. R. Crane, University of Michigan
Memorial-Phoenix Radiocarbon Laboratory, it was found to be dated
(M-619)—1240±200 years before present, which would give the date before
1950 as A.D. 710±200. Also found in the pit were a few flint flakes and
one crude flint blank. The bones in pit _A_ were thought to be from game
animals and consisted of 5 mandibles and 2 long bones. A large mandible,
from which all the teeth had been removed by pot-hunters, is thought to
be that of a bison. Three mandibles were from deer.
[Illustration: Figure 1. Pit A pottery]
a
THE LIP HAS BEEN SMOOTHED.
THE CORDMARKED EXTERIOR SURFACE IS BROWN, THE INTERIOR IS DARK GREY
b
c
EXTERIOR COLOR OF b AND C IS DARK BROWN TO LIGHT BROWN. THE
CORDMARKING IS TYPICAL OF THE SITE, INTERIORS ARE SMOOTH,
COLOR IS A DULL BROWN. THE TEMPER IS CLAY
c
THIS SHERD IS PROBABLY NAPLES DENTATE STAMPED OF THE MIDDLE WOODLAND
OR HOPEWELL COMPLEX. ITS OCCURRENCE IN THIS PIT IS PUZZLING.
The potsherds from pit _A_ are from large vessels, and with one
exception they have lightly re-smoothed cordmarked exteriors. All sherds
have been smoothed inside. Of the three rimsherds recovered, two have
rounded lips and one a rather flat lip which, in the process of
smoothing, received considerable more burring over the outer edge than
those with the rounded lip. All sherds are hard and clay tempered. The
color of these sherds is a muddy-brown or brownish-grey. An exceptional
sherd from pit _A_ is tan in color, clay tempered except for a few
particles of grit, has a smooth interior and is decorated on the outer
surface with roulette or dentate stamping (Fig. 1, d).
Pit _B_, located 33 feet south of pit _A_ in the same east bank was
similar, but only a small remnant of it remained after the usual
vandalism. This pit was beneath 24 inches of overburden; it had a
concentration of cultural fill that measured 6 inches in depth and the
diameter had been approximately 30 inches. Small lumps of fired
limestone were scattered through the fill, which included two rimsherds
(Fig. 2, a and b) and 12 small body sherds. One rimsherd is evidently
from a miniature pot. It is smooth inside and out, grey in color, very
hard and without apparent tempering material. The other rimsherd is
similar to those from pit _A_ which have the rounded lips. The body
sherds seem to be from rather large vessels which had cordmarked
exterior surfaces and are clay tempered except for one which was
tempered with grit. One flake of white chert showed usage.
Pit _C_ was a small, poorly defined deposit of material foreign to the
light colored soil about it. The top of the deposit was 15 inches below
the present surface of the field. Three large cordmarked sherds and a
number of small ones were excavated. There were also bits of burned clay
and a few flint chips. Nearby, in the disturbed earth of the road,
several large, grit tempered and cordmarked sherds were recovered.
Pit _D_ was exposed partly in the west bank of the road at its southern
end. In addition to the part of the pit exposed in the cutbank, the
horizontal outline of the pit could be traced on the surface of the
graded road. Approximately half the contents of the pit had been graded
away. This pit, which excavation revealed to be 20 inches deep, as
marked by the dark fill, was covered by 18 inches of light colored soil.
The sides belled considerably and the flat, oval bottom measured 4 feet
northwest to southeast by 5 feet northeast to southwest.
[Illustration: Figure 2. Pits B and D, Artifacts]
PIT B POTTERY
a
INTERIOR IS DARK GREY
b
FRAGMENT OF A MINIATURE POT SURFACES ARE SMOOTH AND GREY
NO TEMPERING VISIBLE.
SECTION OF CLAY RING
PERFORATED CANINE
CORDMARKED DISC OF TAN COLORED POTTERY
PROJECTILE POINTS ARE FROM FLAKES CHIPPED AROUND THE EDGES
a AND d. ARE OF PINK CHALCEDONY
FLINT FLAKE DRILL
Over 150 potsherds were recovered; 17 were rims of vessels, nine are
sketched in Figure 3. With few exceptions, these rims were similar to
those from pits _A_ and _B_ and are from large vessels. They were
cordmarked, very hard, and are tempered with clay and some grit. Many
sherds break squarely, others flake badly and even crumble. From these
potsherds, one vessel has been restored sufficiently to give its
characteristics (Fig. 4). The pot, of about 3 quarts capacity, is 8
inches high, 8 inches at its greatest diameter and is rather thin
walled. It has dark grey paste, is clay tempered, very hard and has fine
vertical cordmarks over the upper body with cordmarks at random below
the shoulder. The smooth interior has small angular impressions or
punctates inside the lip, which is slightly everted. This vessel,
considerably different from the others at the site, is very similar to
one from Arnold-Research Cave which is 70 miles west in Callaway County,
Missouri (Shippee, 1966). The pot from the cave was shell tempered. In a
personal communication of April 13, 1959, Dr. James B. Griffin states
that in theory the pottery from this site can be compared to that from
sites where Canteen grit tempered cordmarked and perhaps Korando clay
tempered cordmarked material is recovered. Of the many sherds recovered
from pit _D_, all are cordmarked or brushed. One sherd is from a vessel
with a thick conical base.
A baked clay object from pit _D_ seems to be a section of a small ring
(Fig. 2). One unperforated disc of cordmarked pottery was found (Fig.
2). Three projectile points were found (Fig. 2). These points were made
from flakes struck from cores. Two have only primary chipping around the
perimeter; the third has secondary chipping on one edge. Two of the
points were made from a pale pink chalcedony. Of the small number of
flint flakes found, few show evidence of use, but one had been modified
to form a drill (Fig. 2). The perforated canine of a dog or wolf was in
the fill of this pit (Fig. 2). Two antler sections have been altered;
one by a cut which removed the tine and the other by cutting or scraping
to thin it. Bone scrap of fish and animals, mussel shells and burned
limestone fragments occurred in pit _D_. Of the considerable charcoal
recovered from pit _D_, a sample sent to Michigan was dated (M-620) at
930±100 years B.P. or A.D. 1020±100 before 1950. The wood was from a
white ash group, a red oak group and hickory. Identification by R.
Yarnell Nov. 21, 1962. Reported by letter from George J. Armelagos Jan.
28, 1963.
Pit _E_ contained one rimsherd similar to those numerous on the site,
and 14 body sherds, one of which was from a large vessel having a
conoidal base. Three sherds were from a miniature pot. Pit _E_ was 24
feet south of pit _D_ and on the same west road bank. It could be
defined below 19 inches of light colored overburden and had a depth of 8
inches. A radiocarbon date for charcoal from pit _E_ is (M-621)—1180±100
B.P. or A.D. 770±100 before 1950. The charcoal was from red oak and
white oak groups, as identified by Richard Yarnell at the University of
Michigan.
[Illustration: Figure 3. Pit D pottery]
INTERIOR
IMPRESSIONS INSIDE LIP ARE BY A CORD WRAPPED ROD
INTERIOR
EXTERIOR OF THE LARGE RIMS HAVE VERTICAL CORDMARKS, LIP TO SHOULDER
AND AT RANDOM BELOW.
SLIGHT RESMOOTHING IS EVIDENT, COLOR IS BROWN TO BLACK.
ALL PIT D RIMS HAVE CORDMARKED EXTERIORS
LIP AND INTERIOR ARE PREDOMINATELY SMOOTHED
SHERD INTERIOR IS ON RIGHT
[Illustration: Figure 4.]
RESTORED FROM PIT D
SMALL DENTATE IMPRESSIONS ARE ON THE INSIDE OF THE LIP.
EXTERIOR
BRUSHED EXTERIOR
INTERIOR
SURFACE OF ROAD
From the surface of the road there was collected three rimsherds, 20
body sherds, bone scrap, and a hammerstone which had a pit in two of its
flat faces. Artifacts are reported to have been found on the surface of
the field surrounding this hilltop site, but we found scant evidence of
occupation in the plowed soil. This lack of surface material may be
further evidence of considerable deposition over the pits that were
exposed in the roadway across the site.
Leonard Blake sent a copy of the original manuscript of this excavation
to Patrick J. Munson of the Department of Anthropology, University of
Illinois, and Mr. Munson kindly submitted comparisons and comments on
the 23SC50 and Late Woodland ceramics in the American Bottoms. The
following is from his letter of June 15, 1966.
“The pottery shows similarities to both Korondo Cordmarked and what I
call “Early Bluff” (which includes part of what Griffin calls Canteen
Cordmarked and which conforms to part of Titterington’s Jersey Bluff
focus). Korondo and Early Bluff are definitely related in some way
(probably regional variants of what is basically the same cultural
pattern) and your material therefore represents still another variant of
this same pattern.
The comparisons and contrasts can best be illuminated in the following
table: