INVESTIGATING 19TH-CENTURY MINING • A LEGENDARY ARCHAEOLOGIST • INSIDE A CIVIL WAR PRISON american archaeologyWINTER 2013-14 a quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy Vol. 17 No. 4 PLAYINGPLAYING ANCIENTANCIENT GAMESGAMES $3.95 WINTER 2013-14 americana quarterly publication of The Archaeological archaeology Conservancy Vol. 17 No. 4 COVER FEATURE 12 THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAYED BY ALEXANDRA WITZE What did ancient people do once the day’s work was done? They played games. 19 REINTERPRETING AN ANCIENT ISLAND BY LINDA MARSA A research project on California’s Santa Catalina Island is using ethnographic evidence and sophisticated technology to develop new interpretations of the island’s past. 24 LIFE IN THE WORLD’S LARGEST PRISON CAMP BY MIKE TONER Archaeologists are discovering what took place in Camp Lawton, a huge Civil War prison. 32 WHEN COPPER WAS KING BY CHRISTIE BLECK The Cliff Mine in Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula triggered a copper boom in the mid-19th century. Archaeologists are investigating the mine to understand how it happened. 39 THE BEST OF HER PROFESSION BY KRISTIN OHLSON Linda Cordell excelled at many things during her long career in archaeology. 44 new acquisition ELEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY The Conservancy’s first site in South Carolina contains one of the oldest known features in the state. 45 new acquisition ARCHAIC SITE SAVED THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP Sopris is one of the few Archaic sites in the region. JAMES SNEAD 39 46 point acquisition 48 point acquisition RENOWNED BURIAL SITE PRESERVED LEARNING ABOUT THE MOHAWK The Conservancy is in the process of obtaining the famous The Conservancy acquires the Cayadutta site. Windover site near Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2 Lay of the Land 50 Field Notes 52 Reviews 54 EXpeditions 3 Letters 5 Events COVER: Archaeological evidence indicates the Mississippians 7 IN the NEWS liked to play a game called chunkey. A court where the game was played is shown in the lower right of this illustration of Cahokia, • A New View of Paleo-Indian Migration the great Mississippian city. • Did Ancient Fire Affect Cahokia? CREDIT: William R. Iseminger, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site • Rare Ancient Alpine Villages Found american archaeology 1 Lay of the Land Good Old Fun all games, board games, dice cultures, they included all sorts of games, track and field games— games in their lives. Some games Bancient Native Americans played seem to be just for fun and were often them all with some regularity. We have accompanied by heavy drinking and LIZ LOPEZ no evidence of card games, but then wagering. Others, like the Mesoameri- Mark Michel, President cards are not the kind of things that can ball game, may have had deep cer- survive over centuries. In this issue of emonial meaning, where the winners, and a vivid imagination to put it all back American Archaeology we take a look or maybe the losers, lost their heads. together. That’s why it’s a fun exercise at some of the recreational aspects of Some were played in small groups, but for scholars that also provides a much ancient life. (See “The Games People others may have attracted large audi- better understanding of ancient cul- Played,” page 12.) Too often archaeolo- ences where there was a lot at stake. tures. Games like baseball bind our cul- gists focus on just the mundane aspects Ballcourts and chunkey fields became ture together, and there is every reason of Native American culture, such as important public venues in which the to believe that it was not that different settlement patterns and food produc- society invested considerable wealth. in the ancient world. tion, to name two of the most popular. Sorting all of this out is a difficult We now know that as ancient task for archaeologists. It requires a people developed more sophisticated combination of meticulous excavations Change the way you see the world. Southwest Indian Art Scholars: Charles King, Joe & Cindy Tanner Travel with Crow Canyon in 2014. Grand Canyon River Adventure Scholars: Kimberly Spurr, Lyle Balenquah Adriatic Crossroads: N. Italy & Croatia Scholar: Dr. Don McGuire Chaco’s Southern Frontier Scholars: Dr. Ruth Van Dyke, Dan Simplicio Pre-Inca Cultures of Peru Pueblo Ruins of Chaco Scholars: Dr. David Keefer, Dr. Daniel Sandweiss & Mesa Verde Country The Ancient Maya: Belize & Guatemala DOMESTIC Scholars: Select Crow Canyon scholars Scholar: Dr. Christopher Powell INTERNATIONAL Comb Ridge Archaeology Scholars: Dr. Catherine Cameron, Jonathan Till Ancient Peoples of Arizona Scholars: Dr. Christian Downum, Lyle Balenquah RS • 1983 EA –2 Y 0 1 0 3 CST 2059347-50 3 CROW CANYON 800.422.8975, ext. 136 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTER www.crowcanyon.org/travel Discover the Past, Share the Adventure Kate Thompson 2 winter • 2013-14 Letters TH WAR • 16 -CENTURY FLORIDA SETTLEMENT • COMMERCE DURING Remembering A NEW WORLD POMPEII FALL 2013 Formative Experience american archaeology Vol. 17 No. 3 The article on preserving a quarterly publication of The Archaeological Conservancy Fremont sites in Utah (“A DRINKING Editor’s Remarkable Collaboration,” IN THE PAST Fall, 2013) had special mean- Corner ing for me. I was part of the UCLA field school there in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is remote, 1964. We excavated a site near and the sparsely populated Keweenaw Summit, Utah and were housed Avoid Peninsula may be the remotest part of at the College of Southern Utah “Prehistory” the UP. However, in the mid-19th century, in Cedar City. The experience I Dear Ameri- this isolated area became the center of a $3.95 copper boom, and it was bustling with gained there, along with two 8/21/13 4:31 PM can Archaeol- AA Fall 2013 mag.indd 1 activity. years of subsequent work with ogy Magazine, Please It was long known that the the UCLA Archaeological Survey and come into the 21st century! Do not use Keweenaw was rich in copper, as Native UCSB archaeologists James Deetz, Lew the term “prehistory” any longer! Pre- Americans mined it for thousands of Binford, and Albert Spaulding, enabled history refers to the time before the Big years. Then the turning point came in me to become field director of the Bang. Use appropriate terms such as 1842 when the U.S. Government took 1966 Anasazi Origins Project in New “ancient times.” Follow the new rules control of the Keweenaw’s mineral Mexico with Cynthia Irwin-Williams. in our areas of research. Thank you. rights. Copper was of considerable value, and the government in turn sold leases to Dennis E. Shaw Richard Kimball anyone and everyone who had dreams of Professor Emeritus, Professor Emeritus making a fortune mining the metal. Miami-Dade College in Anthropology But dreaming of fortune and actually Tavares, Florida University of California, Hayward making it are two different things. The people who were involved in the Cliff Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation Mine achieved the latter. The Cliff was a 1. Publication Title: American Archaeology. 2. Publication No.: 1093-8400. 3. Filing Date: September 24, 2013. 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 4. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $25.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: The remarkably productive mine that served Archaeological Conservancy, 1717 Girard Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business as a catalyst for the boom. The Cliff proved Office of Publisher: same as No. 7. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher—Mark Michel, address same as No. 7. Editor—Michael Bawaya, address same as No. 7. Managing Editor—N/A. 10. Owner: The Archaeological Conservancy, address there was money to be made, and people same as No. 7. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: American Archaeology. flocked to the area from other states and 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Spring 2013. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: (A) Total No. Copies (net press run): 28,913. (B) Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the countries for a piece of the action. The Mail): (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include direct written request from recipient, telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and Cliff Mine and the Keweenaw Peninsula exchange copies.): 18,399; (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 (Include direct written request from recipient, became internationally renowned. telemarketing, and Internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies.): 0; (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution For the last several years archae- Outside USPS: 3,724; (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): 1,213. (C) Total Paid and/or Requested Circultation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)): 23,336. (D) Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): (1) Outside County ologists have been investigating the Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541(include Sample copies, Requests over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists and other sources): 0; (2) In-County Nonrequested mine and the adjacent town of Clifton Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists and other sources): 0; (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed that sprang up as a result of the boom.