Mississippi State University Scholars Junction Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 5-1-2008 Energy expenditure and mortuary practices at Lyon's Bluff, 22OK520: an evolutionary approach Lorien Stahl Elmore Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td Recommended Citation Elmore, Lorien Stahl, "Energy expenditure and mortuary practices at Lyon's Bluff, 22OK520: an evolutionary approach" (2008). Theses and Dissertations. 1875. https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/1875 This Graduate Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Scholars Junction. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Junction. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND MORTUARY PRACTICES AT LYON’S BLUFF, 22OK520: AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH By Lorien Stahl Elmore A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Applied Anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Mississippi State, Mississippi May 2008 ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND MORTUARY PRACTICES AT LYON’S BLUFF, 22OK520: AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH By Lorien Stahl Elmore Approved: _____________________________ ____________________________ Evan Peacock Janet Rafferty Associate Professor of Anthropology Professor of Anthropology Graduate Coordinator for Anthropology (Committee Member) (Director of Thesis) _____________________________ ____________________________ S. Homes Hogue Gary Myers Adjunct Professor of Anthropology Interim Dean of the College of Arts and (Committee Member) Sciences Name: Lorien Stahl Elmore Date of Degree: May 3, 2008 Institution: Mississippi State University Major Field: Applied Anthropology Major Professor: Dr. Evan Peacock Title of Study: ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND MORTUARY PRACTICES AT LYON’S BLUFF, 22OK520: AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH Pages in Study: 139 Candidate for the Degree of Master of Arts There is a need for more scientific ways to undertake mortuary analysis in archaeology because social status is often assumed. This thesis attempts to demonstrate a scientific approach to mortuary analysis through the investigation of energy expenditure using a scientific approach involving amounts of energy expended on burials by looking at burial type, grave goods, and special placement of burials. Through research of archival data, mortuary differences seen in the burial populations of Lyon’s Bluff (22OK520) and several farmsteads in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi are investigated. Through the creation of a paradigm with dimensions of burial treatments and modes of grave goods, it is possible to place all burials at a particular site or group of sites into categories that show the amount of energy expended on burials. The results of this research suggest this type of research is applicable to both past and future mortuary analysis. DEDICATION To my beautiful daughter, Audrey Lemeé Elmore, and my grandfather, Harold Joseph Battalora, Sr. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Evan Peacock for keeping me on track and helping me realize that the end was within reach. I would also like to express appreciation to Dr. Janet Rafferty and Dr. S. Homes Hogue for their direction and support throughout this process. I would like to thank Jeffrey Alvey for his help with the little things here and there that added up. Last, but definitely not least, I would like to thank my husband, Bryan Elmore, whose patience and support have been unfaltering. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ...........................................1 Energy Expenditure ...............................................................................................2 Burial Type .......................................................................................................2 Special Placement ............................................................................................3 Problem Statement ................................................................................................5 II. MORTUARY ANALYSIS IN THE SOUTHEAST INVOLVING MISSISSIPPIAN AND PROTOHISTORIC PERIOD SITES ............................6 The Mississippian Period .....................................................................................6 The Protohistoric Period .......................................................................................7 Moundville .......................................................................................................8 Upper Nodena ................................................................................................11 Gordontown ....................................................................................................16 Lubbub Creek .................................................................................................18 Gainesville ......................................................................................................22 The Yarbrough Site ........................................................................................25 Tibbee Creek ..................................................................................................26 Kellogg Village ..............................................................................................27 Meadowbrook .................................................................................................29 III. LYON’S BLUFF AND SOME OUTLYING FARMSTEADS ..........................32 The Site: History and Environment ....................................................................32 iv The Farmsteads ...................................................................................................38 IV. METHODS ...........................................................................................................44 V. BURIAL AND ARTIFACT DESCRIPTIONS ...................................................50 The 1934/5 Burials ..............................................................................................50 The 1965 Burials .................................................................................................53 The 1967 Burials .................................................................................................54 The 1968 Burials .................................................................................................74 The 2001/3 Burials ..............................................................................................84 The Farmsteads ...................................................................................................89 Plantation Homes (22OK509) ........................................................................89 Rolling Hills ...................................................................................................89 1983 Mass Burial ......................................................................................89 22OK759 Mass Burial ...............................................................................90 22OK756 Lot 42 ........................................................................................91 22OK756 Lot 45 ........................................................................................93 22OK756 “Infant Burial” ..........................................................................93 22OK756 Urn Burial .................................................................................94 22OK593 “1983 Urn Burial” ....................................................................94 22OK593 Site 7 .........................................................................................95 22OK593 ...................................................................................................95 22OK595 ........................................................................................................95 22OK905 ........................................................................................................96 22OK904 ........................................................................................................96 22OK902N .....................................................................................................97 Feature 1 ....................................................................................................97 Feature 2 ....................................................................................................97 Feature 3 ....................................................................................................99 South Farm (22OK534) ................................................................................100 VI. ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................102 VII. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................108