“The Brentwood Library Archaeological Site, 40WM210” (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 6) June 2014 Volume 15, Issue 4 The information in this article was compiled primarily from the following: 1. The Brentwood Library Site: A Mississippian Town on the Little Harpeth River, Williamson County, Tennessee by Michael C. Moore, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, The Bugle Division of Archaeology, Research Series No. 15, 2005 and Revised 2012. 2. Archaeological Expeditions Of The Peabody Museum In Middle Tennessee, 1877-1884 by Michael C. Moore and Kevin E. Smith, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, The Bugle, a publication of the Brentwood Historic Commission Division of Archaeology, Research Series No. 16, 2009 and Revised 2012. 3. The Cumberland Stone-Box Burials Of Middle Tennessee by John T. Dowd Brentwood Library Archaeological Site Tennessee Archaeology, Volume 3 Fall 2008 Number 2. 4. Mississippian Culture by Gerald F. Schroedl , University of Tennessee. 40WM210 5. Prehistoric American Indians In Tennessee by Jefferson Chapman, PhD Frank H. McClung Museum, Research Notes No. 27, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Mississippian Period Indian Village Compiled and Edited by Tom Carden The Brentwood Library sits atop a over 80 grave sites. Outside the T. Vance Mississippian period Indian village dated Given the size of this discovery, one Little Brentwood Room the to between AD 1298 and AD 1465. At the might wonder how our Mississippian Brentwood Historic time of construction in 1997 it was quite a period village site remained hidden from surprise when heavy equipment scraping Commission, with funding the professional archaeological community. top soil off the site uncovered a stone box from the Friends of the At the time of the discovery there was no grave. Construction was briefly halted Brentwood Library, has on known reference to this site in any of the while the Tennessee Division of display information about Archaeology (TDOA) conducted an the Mississippian era investigation. Through the Fall of 1997 the prehistoric Indian village TDOA and a private consulting firm hired that was rediscovered when by the City of Brentwood documented and the library was constructed collected information on in 1997. over 65 prehistoric structures, including a Go by the library before portion of a palisade Labor Day and learn how surrounding the village, The first stone box grave found the peoples that occupied more than 2,500 non- during library construction. this site and surrounding mortuary features and area lived and played. Source: 2005 TDOA report. Page 2 The Bugle Volume 15, Issue 4 Page 7 antiquarian published academic or confirmation, in combination with the site The Brentwood Historic Commission scientific record, even though the records from Harvard, provided Middle Tennessee area was extensively unequivocal proof that the Brentwood Anne Laine Goad, Chair Kathie Greaves explored for such sites during the latter Library site location was in fact the same Tom Bain Sherry Hammond half of the 19th and early 20th century. Jarman Farm site explored by F. W. Thomas Carden Ashley McAnulty During a 1998 research trip to Putnam in 1882. Arlene Cooke Chuck Sherrill Peabody Museum at Harvard University, So how did Mr. Putnam come to learn to gather information on another Carole Crigger Mississippian site, State Archaeologist Hollie Cummings Linda Lynch, Community Relations Michael Moore and Dr. Kevin Smith of Anne Dunn, Brentwood City Commissioner MTSU found field notes and diagrams about a site near Brentwood. We invite you to join us in our efforts to preserve Brentwood’s past with a donation to the Brentwood Historic “ I was able to take the field in person, Commission. Your donation includes receipt of the Historic Commission’s newsletter, The Bugle, and and under my immediate direction information regarding events and activities. explorations have been made of…an ancient cemetery in Brentwood, Tenn…” “ …on the rising ground upon which ___Individual $ 15 stands the house of Dr. W H Jarman, are ___Family 25 the remains of what was formerly an ___Contributing 50 ___Corporate/Benefactor 100+ extensive cemetery, covering several acres…In the immediate vicinity of Dr. _________________________________________________________________________ Jarman’s house, I opened eighty graves Name Address/Zip Code which had not been disturbed.” These field notes were written by _________________________________________________________________________ Frederic W. Putnam, Curator of the Phone Email Address Peabody Museum. Detach this form and send, along with your check payable to: Could the Jarman Farm site be the mysterious Mississippian town found the Brentwood Historic Commission; Attention: Linda Lynch; City of Brentwood, P.O. Box 788; Brentwood, year before during the new library TN 37024-0788 construction? A deed research subsequently established that Dr. For more information: www.brentwood-tn.org/aboutus/history or Linda Lynch, City of Brentwood, 371-0060 William H. Jarman at one time owned The Brentwood Historic Commission’s activities include the Boiling Spring Academy School Program, the Cool the Brentwood Library property. This 1881 Nashville newspaper, Daily American, article. Springs House, the Annual History Bowl, the Brentwood Room at the library, the Ravenswood House, Historic Markers and is dedicated to the study and preservation of Brentwood’s history and culture. Page 6 The Bugle Volume 15, Issue 4 Page 3 due to its’ availability. Practically every Woodland Period is used for the time about the site? In 1881, Dr. Brentwood, Tennessee”. stream has a limestone outcrop somewhere between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and Jarman discovered several stone Putnam dug a total of 87 the agriculturalist Mississippians. The along its banks. Such outcrops usually box graves while plowing. stone-box graves, 33 of which major technological advancements during display thin, tabular layers that made them Having explored these graves Dr. included grave goods or this period were the widespread use of ideal for the native occupants to use as Jarman shared his discovery with pottery and late in the period bows and mortuary artifacts (pottery, burial materials. the Editor of the Daily American, A limestone tool used as arrows replaced the use of spears and atlatls an ax or weapon. tools, etc.). He also explored a Nashville newspaper. The from 1,000 BC to AD 900. and documented a burnt newspaper editor ran an article in The Mississippian period was the final structure exposed in a gulley the September 18, 1881 issue and chapter of human prehistory in Eastern by natural runoff and erosion. strongly encouraged Dr. Jarman North America, AD 900 to AD 1500. In total Putnam shipped the Throughout the Southeast it was the to contact Mr. Putnam at remains of 110 individuals and Harvard. pinnacle of religio-socio-political complexity Human face medallion over 400 artifacts back to the of the prehistoric Native American societies. After exchanging several from a bowl or pipe. Peabody Museum. Though Beginning in the mid 1500s, European letters with Dr. Jarman, Putnam this wasn’t Putnam’s first incursions into the interior of North arranged to come to Tennessee in exploration trip to the America by the Spanish, the French, and the May of 1882. Putnam excavated Nashville area it was his last. Limestone outcropping along River Park path. English brought massive change to the the Jarman Farm between May The 1997 TDOA salvage Photo by Tom Carden. Indian cultures. Physical brutality and the 26 and June 5, 1882. George archaeology effort document- introduction of European diseases Woods served as Putnam’s ed 2,559 non-mortuary decimated the native populations. These Lug handle pottery vessel. Archaeological Time and the foreman for the excavation and features, the majority of which disruptions broke down the traditional Mississippian Period by request continued explorations were post holes associated alliances and undermined the social and Archaeologists divide the time people in December 1882. Mr. Putnam with the 67 structures and the political order of the native societies. have been in the Americas into a series of provided a presentation of his By the late 1600s we have left prehistory palisade but also included major Periods. Paleoindian Period is a term exploration results in the 1883 hearths, limestone clusters and given to the time when the first peoples who and entered recorded history. In the Annual Report to the Peabody pits. In addition over 10,000 entered, and subsequently inhabited, Southeastern U.S. the story now becomes Notched rim pottery vessel. Museum Trustees. artifacts were recovered, the American continents during the final one of the Cherokee, Yuchi, Shawnee, Subsequently, the results were glacial episodes of the late Pleistocene Creek, Chickasaw, among others and their including 6,440 ceramic pieces, published in a Science article, period, 10,000+ BC to 8,000 BC. relationships with Euro-Americans. The 1,400 lithic or stone pieces, The Archaic Period is the name given to ancient societies that preceded them are titled “Stone Graves of the 1,600 animal bones and many generalized hunter-gatherers in the ancestral to the native peoples of today, Cumberland Valley” and an carbonized floral remains. however the ethnic and tribal affiliations of article in the Kansas City Sixty-six graves containing 75 American continents from approximately Ceramic ear lobe plug. 8,000 BC to 1,000 years BC. these ancient societies are unknown