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The Gehring Site: An Analysis of a Middle Woodland Lithic Assemblage in the American Bottom

The Gehring Site: An Analysis of a Middle Woodland Lithic Assemblage in the American Bottom. Katie Leslie. Hypotheses. Trade or migration Determine regions of interaction Phase Purpose of site. Middle Woodland. Time frame 150 BC to AD 350 “People of colors and glitter” (Fortier 2008)

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The Gehring Site: An Analysis of a Middle Woodland Lithic Assemblage in the American Bottom

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  1. The Gehring Site: An Analysis of a Middle Woodland Lithic Assemblage in the American Bottom Katie Leslie

  2. Hypotheses • Trade or migration • Determine regions of interaction • Phase • Purpose of site

  3. Middle Woodland • Time frame • 150 BC to AD 350 • “People of colors and glitter” • (Fortier 2008) • Variety of colors • Variety of chert types Fortier 2008

  4. Movement Patterns • Trade, migration, direct procurement • Equifinality • Literature unclear

  5. Surface Collection -85 acres -30,000 piece lithic assemblage Test units -Six 2x2 meter units • Plowzone • Screening • Features

  6. Features Feature 102, Feature 104 Excavation methods -First half in one level -Second half in cultural episodes -Screening -Floatation samples

  7. Methods -Comparative collection -Heat- treatment -Tool versus debitage -Counts -Weights -Unidentified

  8. Feature Results Local chert types -Burlington -Chouteau -Salem -Glacial till

  9. Non-local chert types • Grimes Hill • Cobden/Dongola • Kaolin • Ste. Genevieve • Mill Creek

  10. Debitage • Core reduction • 33 flakes • 64% Burlington • Bifacial reduction • 51 flakes • 53% Burlington • Shatter • 51 flakes • 69% Burlington

  11. Blades -58% of tool assemblage -Characteristics -Parallel sides -Ridges -Technology Flake Tools -15% of tool assemblage -Expedient -Re-sharpening

  12. Results • Hoe Flake • 15% of tool assemblage • Sharpening hoes • Polish Scrapers -4% of tool assemblage -Retouching -Burlington -Norton reworked into scraper -Glacial Till -Exhausted humpback scraper -Ste. Genevieve -Side scraper

  13. Results • Spear Points • 5% of tool assemblage • Norton • Ste. Genevieve • Unidentified • Burlington • Etley • Burlington • Cores • -3% of tool assemblage • Bipolar reduction • Heat-treated Burlington • Multidirectional • Burlington

  14. Middle Woodland Diagnostics of Plowzone and Surface • Plowzone • 49 blades • Surface • 121 blades • Waubesa point • Dickson point

  15. Conclusion • Holding Phase • Farming • Hoe flakes • Tool production site? • Trade versus migration • Regions of interaction • Southern Illinois, Illinois river valley, southwestern Illinois • Trade versus migration?

  16. Acknowledgments • I want to thank Dr. Holt for all of the wisdom that she shared, without her guidance this research would not have been possible • Larry Kinsella for making my comparative collection without which the unidentified category would be much larger. • Miranda Yancey and Ken Farnsworth for looking over my first attempts at lithic analysis and for guiding me in the right direction.

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