1.2.^5^-3 rK 'rm ' ^ -*m *~ ^-mt\^ -» V-* ^JT T ^T A . ESEARCH SERIES NUMBER THREE Clemson Universii akCHEOLOGY of the FUNERAL MOUND OCMULGEE NATIONAL MONUMENT, GEORGIA TIONAL PARK SERVICE • U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 3ERAL JCATK5N r -v-^tfS i> &, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fred A. Seaton, Secretary National Park Service Conrad L. Wirth, Director Ihis publication is one of a series of research studies devoted to specialized topics which have been explored in con- nection with the various areas in the National Park System. It is printed at the Government Printing Office and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. Price $1 (paper cover) ARCHEOLOGY OF THE FUNERAL MOUND OCMULGEE National Monument, Georgia By Charles H. Fairbanks with introduction by Frank M. Settler ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER THREE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR • WASHINGTON 1956 THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM, of which Ocmulgee National Monument is a unit, is dedi- cated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and his- toric heritage of the United States for the benefit and enjoyment of its people. Foreword Ocmulgee National Monument stands as a memorial to a way of life practiced in the Southeast over a span of 10,000 years, beginning with the Paleo-Indian hunters and ending with the modern Creeks of the 19th century. Here modern exhibits in the monument museum will enable you to view the panorama of aboriginal development, and here you can enter the restoration of an actual earth lodge and stand where forgotten ceremonies of a great tribe were held. Within the monument area you may see prehistoric temple mounds and the historic trading post. The story of Ocmulgee, however, has not yet all been told. Much information remains to be extracted from the voluminous records and notes made during the program of exca- vations carried out from 1933 to 1938. The present report on the Funeral Mound is the result of many years of patient research by archeologists both inside and outside the National Park Service. It is the first of a series of major reports on Ocmulgee National Monument. ^D^n^rt^T </0^yfcir££ Director. in Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/archeologyoffuneOOfair Contents Page Page Cultural stratigraphy 37 Introduction l Pre-Funeral Mound occupations 38 The Setting 3 Funeral Mound occupation 39 3 The Country Artifacts and other cultural elements 40 3 Ecology Stalling's Island Period 41 The Background 6 Dunlap Period 41 Deptford Period 41 Historical accounts 6 Mossy Oak Period 41 Chronology of the Macon Plateau 8 Swift Creek Period 41 The Creeks 16 Macon Plateau Period 42 Present appearance of the mounds 16 Lamar Period 48 Excavations at the Funeral Mound 20 Ocmulgee Fields Period 48 Methodology 20 Affiliations of Macon Plateau Focus 49 Mound stages and associated remains 20 Summary 55 The sub-mound area 20 Mound construction 24 Summary of life on the Macon Plateau 56 The Village Site 34 Bibliography 77 19th-century features 35 Appendices 79 Analysis 37 Physical stratigraphy 37 Index 91 Illustrations Page Plate Plate Page 1. Frontispiece: Burial 57 grave goods displayed vi 19. Upper photograph—Sherds of early types from general collections. 66 2. Early hunters of the Paleo-Indian era 9 Lower photograph—Macon Plateau pottery types from the general 3. Shellfish Eaters of the Archaic era 10 collections 66 4. Early Farmers of the Southeast 12 20. Historic materials from the Creek occupation of the Funeral Mound 5. Conquest of the Macon Plateau by Master Farmers 14 area 67 6. Pottery of the Master Farmers 15 21. Macon Plateau artifacts, ground stone and pottery pipe from Fu- 7. Model of a Macon Plateau temple mound 16 neral Mound 68 8. East end, north profile of Funeral Mound 17 22. Bone and shell artifacts from the Funeral Mound 69 9. West end, north profile of Funeral Mound 19 23. Upper photograph—Copper sun discs and copper-covered puma 10. Ocmulgee site during Macon Plateau times 57 jaws, original specimens 70 11. Detail, diorama of earth lodge ceremonial 58 Lower photograph—Reproductions of disc and jaw artifacts, show- 12. Hypothetical structure on Macon Plateau mound 59 ing probable original condition 70 13. Detail, diorama of "New Fire" ceremony 60 24. Walnut Roughened sherds from Historic Creek period 71 14. Upper photograph— Burial 68 in sub-Mound I log tomb 62 25. Ocmulgee Fields Incised and Kasita Red Filmed sherds 72 Lower photograph— Bundle Burial 60 in Mound VI 62 26. Chipped stone artifacts from the Funeral Mound 73 15. Upper photograph— Burial 48, rearticulated 62 27. Chipped stone artifacts from the Funeral Mound 74 Middle photograph— Burial 1, historical, intrusive 62 28. Upper photograph— Bibb Plain jar from unnumbered pit in south Lower photograph— Burial 69 in Pit 54 62 face of Funeral Mound 75 16. Upper photograph— Bibb Plain jar with Burial 38-3 63 Lower photograph— Bibb Plain jar with Burial 46 75 Lower photograph— Bibb Plain jar, polished, with Burial 40. 63 17. Upper photograph— Halstead Plain effigy bottle, with Burial 76 . 64 Figure Lower photograph—Bibb Plain bottle, with Burial 46 64 1. Map showing situation of Macon Plateau 4 Right photograph— Halstead Plain effigy bottle, with Burial 59 64 2. Map of Ocmulgee National Monument archeological areas 18-19 18. Upper photograph— Halstead Plain effigy bottle found in village 3. Composite profile drawing of North Face of Funeral Mound 22 area 65 4. Plat of Funeral Mound pits and burials 30 Lower photograph— Bibb Plain sherds from general collections 5. Theoretical reconstruction of ditch on Mound V showing loop handles 65 6. Graphs: Sherd distributions at two test areas 36 Tables Page Page 89-90 I. Southeastern cultures in relation to Macon Plateau. 11 IV. Summary of burials. II. Classification of sherd material from submound level. 21 V. Old Road Survey sherd distribution data. 90 III. Summary of Funeral Mound pits. 87 VI. Willey's Test Pits sherd distribution data. 90 PLATE 1. Representation of the individual of Burial 57, found in the Fifth Stage of the Funeral Mound, showing the original stone spud and reproductions of the shell gorget, copper "sun-symbols," copper-covered puma jaws and spud handle. This figure is part of the exhibit at Ocmulgee National Monument museum. Introduction Twenty years ago the initial excavations at what is now Ocmul- quently, however, the closing date in most cases was extended to gee National Monument were commenced under the authority April 1934. of the Smithsonian Institution in cooperation with the Civil Works The particular C. W. A. project which here is of interest is the Administration. The accompanying paper by Charles H. Fair- one for Macon, Ga., which originally called for 150 unskilled and banks represents the first of several projected reports by the 50 skilled laborers and 5 supervisors. The Smithsonian Institu- National Park Service describing the archeological explorations tion selected Arthur R. Kelly as archeologist and director of the at, and the materials recovered from, Ocmulgee National Monu- project, and fames A. Ford as assistant archeologist. The latter's ment. To appreciate fully the archeological developments which previous experience in directing relief labor with me at the site have taken place in central Georgia during the past 20 years, one in Marksville, La., was of aid in carrying forward a program of must take into account the circumstances which transformed a such magnitude which heretofore was unheard of except in the former cotton patch into one of the outstanding monuments east large Egyptian pyramid excavations in the Near East. of the Mississippi River. Few can appreciate the problems of administration and public In August 1933, I was privileged to excavate an archeological relations which confronted the archeologist. He had to serve as site at Marksville, La. Here, for the first time, laborers were engineer, bookkeeper, personnel officer, liaison, and director, as provided by the State Emergency Relief Administration. Instead well as an archeologist. Under such conditions it is due largely of the usual 10 to 15 workers to which most archeologists were to the enthusiasm and exacting standards of scholarship exempli- accustomed, we were allotted over 100 men. With such a large fied by Dr. Kelly and his assistants that we can now publish crew, and James A. Ford as my assistant, we were able to excavate such detailed reports as this one 20 years afterward. and restore, in 4 short months, an unusually large number of As previously mentioned, the Federal Civil Works Administra- prehistoric earthworks at this site. tion projects under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution This experiment convinced us that with a sufficient number of closed in April 1934. The artifacts from California, Tennessee, trained assistants and supervisors, it would be feasible for archeo- North Carolina, and Florida were shipped to Washington, the logists to use large crews of relief labor. From the standpoint material analyzed, and reports written. After April 1934 the of the relief agencies, archeological explorations were made to project at Ocmulgee continued under the sponsorship of the order, for they provided immediate work for numerous unem- Society for Georgia Archeology and the Macon Chamber of ployed people; they used more than 90 percent of the allotted funds Commerce; explorations continued under the direction of Dr. for labor, since the necessary tools and other materials cost very Kelly with labor supplied by the Georgia Emergency Relief Ad- little; and they produced results of a scientific and educational ministration. With the constant cooperation and enthusiasm of nature.