Evidence for the Presence of an Archaic Ritual Mortuary Complex in Vermillion County, Indiana
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom C/D
Start Date
15-5-2014
End Date
15-5-2014
Keywords
lithics, mounds, projectile points
Abstract
In 1975, the author discovered nineteen lithic artifacts, ranging from scrapers to projectile points, protruding from a weathered circular mound in Vermillion County, Indiana. Subsequent investigations since 2011 using Google Earth have revealed the probable presence of multiple mounds, two of which appear to be serpent effigy mounds, as well as a possible stone circle. Scholars believe that effigy mounds were primarily for religious purposes, although some also fulfill a burial mound function. The artifacts, which have been identified by type and assigned date ranges based on comparative analysis, evidence a date range which covers the greater part of the Archaic Period, and the entire Woodland Period. Preliminary research shows evidence of some artifactual similarity to the Terminal Archaic Riverton culture (1500-700 BC) of the Lower Wabash Valley. This cultural manifestation, primarily represented in southwestern Indiana, was part of the Interior Valley Archaic encompassing the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, Green, and Wabash rivers, and their tributaries. Interior Valley Archaic cultures are characterized by a micro-tool industry, shell middens, living on mounds in the floodplains, mounds used for burials, and the beginnings of plant domestication. This project represents the beginning of an effort, geared toward site protection and potential future archaeological research.
For this presentation, David Davis received a College of the Sciences Best Poster Presentation Award for 2014.
Recommended Citation
Davis, David, "Evidence for the Presence of an Archaic Ritual Mortuary Complex in Vermillion County, Indiana " (2014). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 85.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/posters/85
Poster Number
44
Additional Mentoring Department
Anthropology and Museum Studies
Evidence for the Presence of an Archaic Ritual Mortuary Complex in Vermillion County, Indiana
SURC Ballroom C/D
In 1975, the author discovered nineteen lithic artifacts, ranging from scrapers to projectile points, protruding from a weathered circular mound in Vermillion County, Indiana. Subsequent investigations since 2011 using Google Earth have revealed the probable presence of multiple mounds, two of which appear to be serpent effigy mounds, as well as a possible stone circle. Scholars believe that effigy mounds were primarily for religious purposes, although some also fulfill a burial mound function. The artifacts, which have been identified by type and assigned date ranges based on comparative analysis, evidence a date range which covers the greater part of the Archaic Period, and the entire Woodland Period. Preliminary research shows evidence of some artifactual similarity to the Terminal Archaic Riverton culture (1500-700 BC) of the Lower Wabash Valley. This cultural manifestation, primarily represented in southwestern Indiana, was part of the Interior Valley Archaic encompassing the Ohio, Cumberland, Tennessee, Green, and Wabash rivers, and their tributaries. Interior Valley Archaic cultures are characterized by a micro-tool industry, shell middens, living on mounds in the floodplains, mounds used for burials, and the beginnings of plant domestication. This project represents the beginning of an effort, geared toward site protection and potential future archaeological research.
For this presentation, David Davis received a College of the Sciences Best Poster Presentation Award for 2014.
Faculty Mentor(s)
McCutcheon, Patrick