MISSISSIPPIAN CHIEFDOM ORGANIZATION: A CASE STUDY FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY by MALCOLM JARED WOOD (Under the Direction of David J. Hally) ABSTRACT This study reconstructs the chronological and sociopolitical relationships among three closely-spaced Mississippian period (A.D. 900-1600) mound sites: Lawton, Spring Lake, and Red Lake. Such closely-spaced mound sites have traditionally been explained as representing administrative tiers in hierarchically-organized chiefdoms. Alternate explanations include the fusion of two or more chiefdoms into a single non-hierarchical polity, and alternating use of mound centers within a single chiefdom. I and archaeologists from the University of South Carolina conducted archaeological survey and excavation of the three sites. Each was contour mapped, systematically shovel- tested, and had test units placed in mound flanks, habitation areas, and plazas. Analyses of over 58,000 potsherds and 14 radiocarbon dates show the sites were contemporaries during the Hollywood ceramic phase (A.D. 1250-1350). Site mapping and test excavations reveal the sites are Mississippian in design, and conform to the architectural traditions of the Savannah River valley. Each site exhibits a formal mound and plaza complex surrounded by a habitation area. Red Lake has three mounds, Lawton has two, and Spring Lake one. Although Red Lake has the most mounds, Lawton occupies a more favorable terrace landform, has the largest single construction stage mound, and has the only confirmed defensive ditch and palisade among the sites. In addition, the communal labor required to construct the mounds, ditch, and palisade at Lawton is over four times greater than that required for the Red Lake mounds, and over 12 times greater than that required for the Spring Lake mound. I conclude the sites are different enough to merit hierarchical ranking, with Lawton designated as the primary mound center. This study increases our knowledge in several ways. Current explanations for the relationships among closely-spaced mound sites are evaluated. Lawton, Spring Lake, and Red Lake do not appear to be fused chiefdoms, or occupied in an alternating fashion. Instead, they may represent administrative centers of a complex chiefdom. The research methods employed in this study can be applied to other closely-spaced Mississippian mound sites, potentially revealing patterns in the way they were politically organized. Such research will increase our general understanding of the nature of chiefdom organization. INDEX WORDS: Archaeology, Chiefdoms, Mississippian period, Hierarchy, Settlement systems, Chronology, Pottery analysis, Site architecture, Platform mounds, Savannah River valley, Southeastern United States MISSISSIPPIAN CHIEFDOM ORGANIZATION: A CASE STUDY FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY by MALCOLM JARED WOOD B.S., Middle Tennessee State University, 2000 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2009 © 2009 Malcolm Jared Wood All Rights Reserved MISSISSIPPIAN CHIEFDOM ORGANIZATION: A CASE STUDY FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY by MALCOLM JARED WOOD Major Professor: David J. Hally Committee: Stephen Kowalewski Elizabeth Reitz Mark Williams Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2009 DEDICATION To curiosity, which has always served me well. May I never run out of it, and may it never be satisfied. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “A dream that comes only once is oftenest only an idle accident, and hasn't any message, but the recurrent dream is quite another matter–oftener than not it has come on business.” - Mark Twain, 3,000 Years Among the Microbes Since I was a child, I have dreamt of being an archaeologist. I owe a great deal of debt to many people and several institutions for helping to make that dream my business. I would like to thank them here, but as the list is long, I fear I may forget some of them. I apologize sincerely for any omissions, as they are unintentional and completely my own. Murl Dirksen was the first anthropologist I ever knew. After his introduction to anthropology course one day, we had a casual conversation about my interest in archaeology. He suggested that I contact Quentin Bass, archaeologist for the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. I dropped in on Quentin unannounced one day soon thereafter, and he encouraged me to visit Kevin Smith, archaeologist at Middle Tennessee State University. I did so, and jumped into archaeology with both feet. After transferring schools, changing my major, and working to make up for lost time, I was well on my way. I am thankful to Murl and Quentin for pointing me in the right direction, and to Kevin for training me in the classroom, the field, and the laboratory. Kevin was an early example to me of how great archaeology is done, and he gave me opportunities to advance myself. Many people at the University of Georgia have influenced me and made my research possible. My PhD committee and faculty members gave me guidance, and each has made me a better archaeologist in their own way. I thank David Hally, Mark Williams, Steve Kowalewski, v Betsy Reitz, and Ervan Garrison for their advice and input both before and during the arduous process that is a dissertation. Two of these individuals deserve special recognition. I am fortunate to benefit from David Hally’s extensive thought and research regarding Mississippian period societies. He has been an enthusiastic supporter of my own research, a mentor of great worth, and a patient and thorough editor of high caliber. He also provided funding for me during part of my graduate studies. I look forward to continuing our relationship, as well as our discussion of southeastern chiefdoms. I also thank Mark Williams. His deep interest and decades of Mississippian period research in Georgia have been a source of useful information and creative thought that has served me well. Mark is a supportive mentor and a close friend. His passion for fieldwork and enthusiasm to ‘get good data while we still can’ have been an inspiration to me. Mark has kept me in work for much of my time at UGA, which not only paid the bills, but also gave me a breadth and depth of experience I would not otherwise have. I also thank the UGA Department of Anthropology staff, past and present. LaBau Bryan, Margie Floyd, Charlotte Blume, Lisa Norris, and Jill Morris have all helped me navigate the necessary procedures, forms, and ins-and-outs of the department and the Graduate School. They have also been a refreshing source of support along the way. The UGA Laboratory of Archaeology, under the direction of Mark Williams, generously provided field vehicles, field equipment, lab supplies, lab and curation space, and funding that was critical to my dissertation research. David Crampton, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, granted permission to excavate at Spring Lake and Red Lake, which are located on lands under the USACE’s ownership. David Crass of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division, accepted my proposals for fieldwork, and Howard Pope, of the Georgia DNR Tuckahoe Wildlife vi Management Area, generously provided facilities, storage space, and safety training for the UGA field schools and volunteer trips. Howard, I appreciate your patience, your concern, and your support of our hard work down in the river swamps under your supervision. Hattie Watson, owner of the Lawton site, graciously provided permission to excavate there. Several individuals from the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology contributed to this research. Adam King and Keith Stephenson got me access to Lawton, shared ideas and critical data from Lawton and Red Lake, gave their time and efforts in my visits to the Savannah River Site, and encouraged me in my progress. Mark Brooks happily shared with me his knowledge of Savannah River valley archaeology and geology. Emily Dale and Michael Nelson were good colleagues and provided me their findings from Red Lake and Lawton, respectively. Christopher Thornock was a valuable source for numerous maps, digital data, and graphics from SCIAA’s efforts at Lawton and Red Lake. I thank all of these individuals for their help. Fred Cook quickly became a friend and a colleague to me. After learning of my interest in the Savannah River valley and us digging together on Ossabaw Island (thanks Charlie Pearson!), he has shared with me his invaluable knowledge of the Mississippian period in the area, and helped to keep me ‘in the know’ regarding important sites from the interior valley down to the coast. Many people participated in the excavations I directed at Lawton, Spring Lake, and Red Lake, and I thank them all. The students enrolled in my field schools were Scott Crozier, Victoria Dekle, Caryn Lobdell, Mason Tanner, Rachel Turner, Rosanne Vingerling, Stefani Cerday, Kevin Cotham, Amy Ladewig, Siavash Samei, and Adam Kiehn. Many volunteer trips outside of the field schools were taken to excavate and collect data. UGA undergraduate vii volunteers include Andrea Adams, Brandon Batt, Peter Vandyck, Mike Hunt, Hannah Clark, Kelli Guest, Justin Bradshaw, Ellen Burlingame, Stefani Cerday, Inger Coxe, Scott Crozier, Victoria Dekle, Kevin Gibbons, Caryn Lobdell, Hannah Morris, Richard Moss, Siavash Samei, Eric Soderstrom, and Lindsey Thomas. UGA graduate volunteers include Matthew Compton, Xinyu Ren, and John Turck. Additional volunteers include David Hally and Steve Kowalewski of UGA, as well as Ralph Beard, Donny Mallard, Penny Waters, Chris Jansen, Drew Cantrell, Howard and Caroline Pope and their daughters Hillary, Emily, and Allison, Dwayne and Renee Ansley and their daughters Emily, Amy, and Madeline, and John Fitzner. Special thanks go to Penny Waters, whose support, time, great efforts, and good cooking made these field schools and volunteer trips such a success. Many of the above students and others have been friends to me in my years here as a graduate student.