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Time and Archaeological Traditions in the Lower Illinois Valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jason L. King ,
Jane E. Buikstra  and
Douglas K. Charles
Jason L. King
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology MSC01-1040, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 ([email protected])
Jane E. Buikstra
Affiliation:
School of Human Evolution & Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-2402 ([email protected])
Douglas K. Charles
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459 ([email protected])
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Abstract

The issue of time remains a crucial one in Lower Illinois Valley archaeology, and key problems remain unresolved. In this paper, new radiocarbon assays and published dates are used to test hypotheses concerning intra-site bluff top mound chronologies, timing and structure of valley settlement, and the emergence of regional symbolic communities during the Middle Woodland period (ca. 50 cal B.C.-cal A.D. 400). We show that within sites Middle Woodland mounds were constructed first on prominent, distal bluff ridges and subsequently in less-visible spaces, though additional dates are needed to fully understand intra-site chronology. Our analyses generally support previous studies suggesting a north-to-south settlement trajectory of the valley, though habitation site dates indicate a more complicated pattern of regional occupation that has yet to be fully explicated. In addition, floodplain regional symbolic communities also emerged along a north-to-south pattern, though not as rapidly as bluff crest mounds. Importantly, results indicate future areas of research necessary to elucidate regional chronology, resettlement of the valley, and community interactions.

Resumen

Resumen

El asunto de la edad continúa siendo de gran importancia en la arqueología del Valie Inferior de Illinois, y los problemas claves del tiempo geológico siguen sin resolverse. En este estudio probamos modelos cronológicos de Ias zonas internas de los montículos en la cima del acanalado, el tiempo y la estructura de los sedimentos del valle, y el surgimiento de las comunidades simbólicas regionales durante el periodo Woodland medio (ca. 50 cal a.C.-cal-d.C. 400). Nuestros análisis muestran que algunos sitios dentro de los montículos de Woodland medio, fueron construidos inicialmente sobre prominentes cordilleras costeras distales y subsecuentemente en espacios menos visibles, aunque se necesitan fechas adicionales de más sitios para entender completamente la cronologia intra-sitio. De igual importancia, los resultados indican la necesidad de futuras investigaciones en ciertas áreas para definir la cronología regional, el asentamiento del valle y las interacciones de la comunidad.

Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 76 , Issue 3 , July 2011 , pp. 500 - 528
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2011

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