The Lawhorn site is located on the Leachville-Arkansas-Missouri
Quadrangle of the U.S. Army Engineer Map in the NW SW Sec. 5, T15N, R7E.
This lies along the watercourse of the St. Francis River, in Craighead
County four miles north of Monette, Arkansas. In all probability, at the
time the site was occupied, the main river channel was not far away.
Figure 1 shows the general location of the site in northeast Arkansas
just below the boot-heel of Missouri. The larger and better known sites
shown on this map indicate the extent of the Mississippian groups in
this region. The site is close to one just north and one or two south
which seem to be almost identical judging by surface finds and tests.
The Lawhorn material is mostly Mississippian or has a Mississippian
component that predominates in the materials found. An early component
is Woodland or Baytown but it is not well represented on the site.
[Illustration: Figure 1. Map Showing the Lawhorn Site in Relation to
Archaeological Sites in the Central Mississippi Valley]
CAHOKIA
HERRELL
KINCAID
WICKLIFFE
MATTHEWS
CAMPBELL
LAWHORN
Early St. Francis River meanders flowed eastward along the southern end
of the site, and in doing so washed away, then redeposited new silt over
that section. This showed quite clearly in the R22 profile drawings.
Other than this, in discussing the general nature of the site, it must
be recognized that the New Madrid earthquake of 1812 changed the
contours and drainage of this area to a great extent. It is to be noted
that the Lawhorn site lies on a natural levee or ridge; that is, a ridge
in the terms of the people who live in this flat country. It is some
three to five feet higher than the surrounding land. This rise is
adequate to keep the site dry and well drained through periods of high
water and floods except during abnormal years. An Army Engineer aerial
photograph of the area (Fig. 2) shows the general topographic
relationships. The old meander of the St. Francis River, where it cut
through the southern end of the site, can still be made out. The most
recent of the old channels of the St. Francis are quite apparent in the
densely overgrown jungle-like terrain. This is the area known as the
Sunken Lands.
The higher elevations on either side are protected by levees and by
drainage ditches to carry off the immediate drainage water to a point
where it can be siphoned back into the St. Francis. It is this drainage
ditch which was cut recently through the Lawhorn site and which can be
seen very clearly as it parallels the new levee. The site itself is in
the left central part of the figure as marked by the delineating outline
(Fig. 3). The black spots showing in the aerial photo are areas of
higher moisture content due to irregular drying and perhaps have more to
do with the New Madrid earthquake disturbances than with archaeological
phenomena.
Figure 4 indicates the extent of the excavations and the method of
horizontal control through a grid system. Base lines were established on
the south and west sides of the site so that all squares carry an E
(east) distance number combined with an N (north) distance number. Ten
foot intervals or squares were used so that square 17R30, for example,
would be marked by the southwest corner stake of a square 170 feet north
and 300 feet west of datum. Datum control point was marked by an iron
rod firmly set in the ground.