Archaeological Investigations at the Twin Knobs Locality, Crittenden County, Kentucky
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE TWIN KNOBS LOCALITY, CRITTENDEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY By Greg J. Maggard, A. Gwynn Henderson, David Pollack and Eric J. Schlarb With contributions by Jack Rossen Bruce L. Manzano Larry Gray Kentucky Archaeological Survey Research Report No. 9 Jointly Administered by: The University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology and The Kentucky Heritage Council Lexington, Kentucky Report Prepared for: Mr. James Hixon Division of Environmental Analysis, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 200 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY 40622 2012 Kentucky Archaeological Survey The Kentucky Archaeological Survey is jointly administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council (State Historic Preservation Office) and the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology. Its mission is to provide a service to other state agencies, to work with private landowners to protect archaeological sites, and to educate the public about Kentucky=s rich archaeological heritage. Kentucky Heritage Council The mandate of the Kentucky Heritage Council is to identify, preserve, and protect the cultural resources of Kentucky. The Council also maintains continually- updated inventories of historic structures and archaeological sites and nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places. By working with other state and federal agencies, local communities, and interested citizens, the Council seeks to build a greater awareness of Kentucky=s past and to encourage the long-term preservation of Kentucky=s significant cultural resources. Through its various programs (e.g., Main Street, Grants, Publications, Rural Preservation, Civil War Initiative, Conferences), the Council strives to show how historic resources contribute to the heritage, economy, and quality of life of all Kentuckians. University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology The University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology has a mission to educate students and promote scholarly research in the field of archaeology. The Department also is charged by state law with enforcing and administering the State Antiquities Act, which prohibits the destruction of archaeological sites on state and municipal lands. It maintains comprehensive inventory files and records on archaeological sites in the Commonwealth through the Office of State Archaeology, and supports the major state curation repository for archaeological collections (the William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology). ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the many individuals who participated in the fieldwork for this project, including Wes Stoner, Dwight Cropper, Rick Burdin, Edward Henry, David McBride, Carrell Rush, Emily Swintosky, Brian Mabeltini, Gabriel Paschal, Melissa Ramsey, Nicole Mills, Paul Ramey, and Dona Daugherty. Ronnie Hazlett and Matthew Davidson assisted with the laboratory analysis. Dr. Tom Dillehay, Vanderbilt University, graciously conducted the microscopic usewear analysis of lithic tools. Hayward Wilkerson prepared most of the figures and photographs used in the report. Ed Winkle and Barbara Gortman handled the administrative details. Finally, James Hixon was a pleasure to work with throughout the project and showed great patience as we worked on preparing this report. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... ix Chapter One: Introduction ..............................................................................................1 Twin Knobs Rockshelter (15CN50) ........................................................................4 Flat Top Site (15CN52) ...........................................................................................7 Site 15CN61 .............................................................................................................8 Summary of Excavations .........................................................................................9 Organization of the Report.......................................................................................9 Chapter Two: Cultural and Conceptual Background .................................................10 Paleoindian Period .................................................................................................10 Archaic Period .......................................................................................................13 Woodland Period ...................................................................................................15 ‘Stone forts’ and Early Late Woodland Settlement ...................................20 Late Prehistoric Period ...........................................................................................24 Mississippian Tradition ..............................................................................24 Fort Ancient Tradition ...............................................................................25 Contact Period ........................................................................................................27 Chapter Three: Excavation and Stratigraphy of the Twin Knobs Rockshelter ........28 Excavation Methods...............................................................................................28 Stratigraphic Zone and Feature Descriptions .........................................................38 Materials Recovered by Zone ................................................................................40 Summary of Excavations .......................................................................................42 Chapter Four: Lithic Artifacts from the Twin Knobs Rockshelter ...........................43 Analytical Methods ................................................................................................43 Formal Chipped Stone Tools .................................................................................44 Informal Chipped Stone Tools ...............................................................................67 Groundstone Implements .......................................................................................71 Debitage .................................................................................................................73 Other Chipped Stone ..............................................................................................76 Lithic Raw Material Identification.........................................................................76 Summary ................................................................................................................80 Chapter Five: Prehistoric Ceramics from the Twin Knobs Rockshelter ..................82 Introduction ............................................................................................................82 Analytical Parameters and Methodology ...............................................................82 Artifact Descriptions ..............................................................................................84 Assessment and Comparison .................................................................................89 Contextual Considerations of the Assemblage ......................................................95 iv Occupational History .............................................................................................96 Summary and Conclusions ....................................................................................97 Chapter Six: Faunal Remains from the Twin Knobs Rockshelter (by Bruce L. Manzano, Program for Archaeological Research, University of Kentucky) .....................98 Introduction ............................................................................................................98 Methods..................................................................................................................98 Faunal Assemblage Composition ..........................................................................99 Site Faunal Interpretations ...................................................................................104 Chapter Seven: Archaeobotanical Remains from the Twin Knobs Rockshelter (by Jack Rossen, Ithaca College) ...........................................................................................105 Introduction ..........................................................................................................105 Methods................................................................................................................105 Preservation..........................................................................................................106 Wood Charcoal ....................................................................................................107 Nutshell and Nutmeat ..........................................................................................107 Cultigens ..............................................................................................................111 Wild Plant Seeds ..................................................................................................113 Intrusive Dessicated Seeds ...................................................................................115 Summary ..............................................................................................................115