Occupation Sequence at Avery Island. Sherwood Moneer Gagliano Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1967 Occupation Sequence at Avery Island. Sherwood Moneer Gagliano Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Gagliano, Sherwood Moneer, "Occupation Sequence at Avery Island." (1967). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1248. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1248 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 67-8779 GAGLIANO, Sherwood Moneer, 1935- OCCUPATION SEQUENCE AT AVERY ISLAND. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1967 Anthropology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan Sherwood Moneer Gagliano 1967 All Rights Reserved OCCUPATION SEQUENCE AT AVERY ISLAND A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geography and Anthropology by Sherwood Moneer Gagliano B.S., Louisiana State University, 1959 M.A., Louisiana State University, 19&3 January, 1967 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 'The funds, labor, and other facilities which made this study possible were provided by Avery Island Inc, Many individuals contributed. Drs. James Morgan, and James Coleman, and Messrs. William Smith, Karl LaPleur, Rodney Adams, Stephen Murray, Roger Saucier, Richard Warren, and David Morgan aided in the boring program and excavations. Members of the Louisiana Junior Archae ological Society and their sponsors assisted in surface collecting. Mr. Chet Dartez and his Avery Island mainte nance crew carried out most of the excavations. The care of two of these men in particular, Mr. Lloyd Deroven, and the late Mr. Kirby Dartez during many hours of excavation contributed markedly to the project. The dragline furnish ed by the Iberia Parish Department of Public Works coupl ed with the skill of its operator, Mr. Wilton David, made deep excavations possible. Assistance of my wife, Betty, during both field and laboratory phases of the project was of great value. Thanks are extended to Dr. Howard Gould and the Ex ploration Department of Humble Oil and Refining Co., Houston Texas, for radiocarbon analysis of samples from the dig. Acknowledgement is also extended to the L.S.u. Foundation for providing funds for additional dates. Discussions with Dr. Andrew Arata of the Department of Biology, Tulane University with regard to faunal remains i from the island have contributed to a better under standing of the stratigraphy and archaeological materials. In the laboratory Miss Judy Josserand handled much of the pottery cataloging and analysis. Messrs. James Morgan, Jr. and David Morgan also helped with the labori ous task of washing and cataloging pottery. Numerous suggestions during field and. laboratory work and a criti cal review of the manuscript by Drs. William G. Me Intire and James P. Morgan have been exceedingly helpful. Dr. William G. Haag set valuable guidelines for classifying and handling the archaeological data. I am grateful to Dr. Richard J. Russell for instill ing in me a special viewpoint of the coastal landscape and to Dr. Fred. B. Kniffen for giving me an appreciation of man’s relationship to this landscape. It was this background, that motivated the study. This project falls within the scope of a long range program of Quaternary studies conducted in south Louisiana by the Coastal Studies Institute under the auspices of the Geography Branch, Office of Naval Research (Contract N onr 1575 (03) Task Order 388 002). Above all, grateful acknowledgement is made to members of the board of directors of Avery Island Inc. for their interest and enthuastic support of every phase of the project; to Mr. Walter Me Ilhenny for making arrangements, and to Mr. and Mr. Edward M. Simmons for their help in almost every aspect of the work. Without ii the help of Mr. and Mrs. Simmons the project would not have been possible. Their hospitality made field work a truly memorable experience. iii TABLE OP CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................... i LIST OF TABLES ...................................... x LIST OP FIGURES ..................................... xi ABSTRACT ............................................. xiii INTRODUCTION........................................ 1 THE PROBLEM .................................... 1 LOCATION AND PHYSICAL SETTING ................. 3 PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS OP GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, AND ARCHAEOLOGY ............................... 12 FRAMEWORK OF COASTAL LOUISIANA PREHISTORY ‘15 Llthic Stage .............................. 21 Archaic Stage ............................. 24 Formative Stage ................. 25 SCOPE OF PRESENT STUDY .............................. 32 IDENTIFICATION OF MIDDEN AND CAMP AREAS . ...... 33 EXPLORATORY EXCAVATIONS AT BANANA BAYOU MOUND . 34 SALT MINE CANAL L O C A L E ............ .. ......... 39 EXCAVATIONS IN SALT MINE V A L L E Y ............... 42 Description of the V a l l e y ................ 42 Mining Activity and Old Excavations ..... 44 Surface Analysis and Drilling Program .... 46 Excavation and Coring .................... 50 Stratigraphy ....................... 51 Comparison of Excavated Section with Sequences Described by Previous Workers .. 57 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page Midden Areas ............................. 64- INVESTIGATION OF RIDGES BORDERING SALT MINE VALLEY ......................................... 65 Railroad Embankment Fossil Locale ...... 65 FOSSILS AND ARTIFACTS .............................. 70 FOSSIL VERTEBRATES ............................ 70 BASKETRY ...................................... 75 BIPOLAR PEBBLE TOOLS .......................... 79 PREPARED CORES AND BLADELETS ................. 82 PROJECTILE POINTS ............................. 84- GROUND AND CHIPPED STONE TOOLS AND CLAY OBJECTS ........................................ 93 POTTERY ....................................... 93 SUMMARY AND INTERPRETATION ........................ 100 PREHISTORIC SALT PRODUCTION .................. 100 IMPLICATIONS OF THE BIPOLAR ARTIFACTS ....... 103 OCCUPATION SEQUENCE ........................... 114- RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MAN1S USE OF AVERY ISLAND RESOURCES AND CHANGES IN REGIONAL SETTING ................................. 121 Sangamon Interglacial Stage ............ 122 Wisconsin Glacial Stage ................. 123 Early Recent Stage ...................... 123 Late Recent Stage ........................ 127 CONCLUSIONS................................... 131 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................... 133 APPENDIX - DESCRIPTION OF ARTIFACTS ............... 142 POTTERY TYPES ................................. 142 Plaquemine Brushed ................. 142 Hardy Incised ............................ 144 Wilkinson Punctated ..................... 144 Manchac Incised .......................... 146 Pontchartrain Check -Stamped ............ 146 Dupree Incised ........................... 147 Chevalier Stamped ....................... 148 Harrison Bayou Incised .................. 149 PROJECTILE P O I N T S ............................. 149 Macon Points ............................. 149 Morhiss Points ........................... 15° Kent Points ........ 152 Gary Points .............................. 152 Marcos Points ............................ 154 Trinity Points ........................... 154 Ensor Points ........ 155 Paisano Points ........................... 156 Tortugas Points ......................... 156 Carrollton Points ............ 157 Elam Points .......................... 158 vi TABLE OF COOTENTS (continued) Page Fresno Points ........................... 158 Pogo Points ............................. 159 Morrow Mountain Points ................. 159 Almagre Points .......................... 160 Frio Points ............................. l6l "Lanceolate" Points .......... 161 San Patrice Points ..................... 163 Desmuke Points .......................... 16^ Williams Points ......................... 16^ Ellis Points ............................ 165 Evans Points ............................ 166 Avery Points ............................ 167 Marshall Points ......................... 167 Yarbrough Points ........................ 168 Shulma Points ........................... 169 Wells Points ............................ 169 Hale Points ............................. 170 Pontchartrain Points ................... 170 Lerma Points ............................ 171 Scallorn Points ......................... 171 A'lba P o i n t s ............................. 172 "Minature" Points ...................... 17^ CHIPPED STONE TOOLS .......................... 17^ vii TABLE OP CONTENTS (continued) Page Adzes or Gouges ........................ 175 Burin-Faceted Projectile Points ....... 175 Drills .................................. 175 GROUND STONE ARTIFACTS ...................... 176 Spade ................................... 176 Grooved Maul ........................... 176 Club Head ............................... 178 Wedge ................................... 178