ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, 1877-1884 Michael C. Moore and Kevin E. Smith TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION DIVISION OF ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH SERIES NO. 16 2009 Revised 2012 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITIONS OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, 1877-1884 Michael C. Moore and Kevin E. Smith with a contribution by: Stephen T. Rogers Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Archaeology Research Series No. 16 2009 Revised 2012 i Copyright © 2002 President and Fellows of Harvard College Images presented in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 63, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 104, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 155, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 248, 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 262, 263, 264, 265, and 275. Copyright © John Bigelow Taylor Image presented in Figure 277. Cover figure: Sketch map of Mound Bottom by Edwin Curtiss, May 1878 (Putnam Letterbook IV-C, #597, Peabody Museum Collections Dept., Harvard University). Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s policy of non-discrimination, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its policies, or in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs, services or activities. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action inquiries or complaints should be directed to the EEO/AA Coordinator, Office of General Counsel, 401 Church Street, 20th Floor L & C Tower, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-888-867-7455. ADA inquiries or complaints should be directed to the ADA Coordinator, Human Resources Division, 401 Church Street, 12th Floor L & C Tower, Nashville, TN 37243, 1-866-253- 5827. Hearing impaired callers may use the Tennessee Relay Service (1-800-848- 0298). Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Authorization No. 327236, 600 copies. This public document was promulgated at a cost of $11.35 per copy. July 2009 . ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES...........................................................................................……….. vi LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................………… xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................. xvii I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND..................................................…......... 1 The Engagement of Mr. Edwin Curtiss............................................................. 5 The Engagement of Mr. George Woods and “Brother Joe Woods”………….. 7 Influences on Putnam……………………………………………………………. 8 II. 1877 PUTNAM AND CURTISS EXPLORATIONS………………………………. 13 Fort Zollicoffer (40DV32)……………….….…………………………………… 13 Overton Estate (40DV11)………………………………………………………. 15 Miss Bowling’s Farm (40DV426)……………………………………………….. 18 Love Mound (40DV39)…………………………………………………………. 34 Other Archaeological Research at the Love Mound Site………………… 36 John Dowd……………………………………………………………….. 36 Tennessee Division of Archaeology……………………………………. 38 Gary Barker……………………………………………………………… 39 Lindsley Estate (40WI1)................…………………………………………….. 40 Other Archaeological Research at the Lindsley Estate Site…………….. 52 Tennessee Division of Archaeology…………………………………… 52 T. F. Wilkinson’s Farm (40DV6)……………………………………………….. 54 Other Archaeological Research at Wilkinson’s Farm………..…………… 58 Dr. Joseph Jones………………………………………………………… 58 Gates P. Thruston……………………………………………………….. 58 William Edward Myer……………………………………………………. 58 Vanderbilit University…………………………………………………….. 60 Tennessee Division of Archaeology……………………………………. 62 Clees Plantation Mound (40DV14?)…………………………………………… 65 Edmundson Place (40DV573)…………………………………………………. 67 III. 1878 CURTISS EXPLORATIONS………………………………………………… 69 Flynn’s Lick (40JK15)……………….….……………………………………….. 69 Flynn’s Lick Burial Caves (40JK14)……………….….………………………… 71 Ray Mound (40JK11?)……………….….……………………………………… 72 Rogers Farm (Roaring River)……….….………………………………………… 73 Cains Chapel (40DV3)……………….….………………………………………. 74 Other Archaeological Research at Cains Chapel………..……………….. 85 Gates P. Thruston……………………………………………………….. 85 Tennessee Division of Archaeology……………………………………. 86 Dr. Oscar Noel……………………………………………………............ 86 Mound Bottom (40CH8)………………………………………………………… 89 Other Archaeological Research at Mound Bottom………..……………… 89 William E. Myer…………………………………………………………... 89 Parmenio E. Cox…………………………………………………............ 93 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page WPA Excavations, 1936-1937 and 1940…………............................... 94 Tennessee Division of Archaeology/Vanderbilt University…………… 95 Link Farm (40HS6)……………….….………………………………………….. 96 Other Archaeological Research at Link Farm…………………………….. 98 WPA Excavations………………………..…………............................... 98 Tennessee State Parks/University of Memphis…………..…………… 98 Old Town (40WM2)……………….….………………………………………….. 99 Other Archaeological Research at Old Town…………………………….. 99 Joseph Jones………………………..…………...................................... 99 William M. Clark……..………………………………………………….. 101 W. G. Polk…………..…………………………………………………… 101 Tennessee Division of Archaeology…………………………………… 101 Gray’s Farm (40WM11)……………………………………………………….. 103 Marshall’s Farm (40DV48)…………………………………………………….. 121 Rutherford’s Farm (40SU15)………………………………………………….. 124 Other Archaeological Research at Rutherford’s Farm………………….. 134 Gates. P. Thruston………………..…………........................................ 134 Tennessee Division of Archaeology…………………………………… 135 IV. 1879 CURTISS EXPLORATIONS……………………………………….……….. 139 Unnamed Site (40SW38)………………..……………………………………… 139 Unnamed Site (40SW40?)………..……..…………………………………….. 140 Williams Farm (40SW40?)………..……..…………………………………….. 141 Lovell’s Farm……………………………………………………………………. 145 Cheatham County Poorhouse…………………………………………………. 147 Marrowbone Creek (40CH48?)………………………………………………… 148 Emily Hayes Farm (40WM5)…………………………………………………… 149 Other Archaeological Research at Emily Hayes Farm………………….. 155 Southeastern Indian Antiquities Survey.............................................. 155 Glass Mounds (40WM3)……………………………………………………….. 157 Stalls Farm………………………………………………………………………. 159 Bannister’s Farm………………………………………………………………… 160 West’s Farm…………………………………………………………………….. 162 Green’s Place…………………………………………………………………… 165 Perkins Farm……………………………………………………………………. 166 Anderson’s Farm (40DS44)……………………………………………………. 168 Hodges Place…………………………………………………………………… 171 Dozier’s Place…………………………………………………………………… 172 Gower’s Place…………………………………………………………………… 173 V. 1882 PUTNAM EXPLORATIONS………………………………………………… 177 Dr. Jarman’s Farm (40WM210)……………………………………………….. 177 Other Archaeological Research at Dr. Jarman’s Farm…………………. 189 Tennessee Division of Archaeology…................................................ 189 Stone Statues from Dr. Frost’s Farm…………………………………………. 194 John Owen Hunt Mound (40WM86)…………………………………………… 196 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page VI. 1883-1884 GEORGE WOODS EXPLORATIONS………………………………. 199 VII. THE RISE AND DECLINE OF THE CUMBERLAND CHIEFDOMS…………… 201 Provisional Revised Regional Chronology…………………………………… 202 Insights, Observations, and Hypotheses from the Collections……………… 210 Zoomorphic Effigy Forms………………………………………………….. 215 Anthropomorphic Effigy Forms……………………………………………. 219 Duck River Knives and Swords…………………………………………… 222 Concluding Remarks……………………………………………………………. 223 REFERENCES CITED................................................................................................. 227 APPENDIX A: 1877 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………… 235 APPENDIX B: 1878 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………... 249 APPENDIX C: 1879 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………... 289 APPENDIX D: 1880 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………... 323 APPENDIX E: 1881 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………... 327 APPENDIX F: 1882 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………… 331 APPENDIX G: 1883 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………… 355 APPENDIX H: 1884 DOCUMENT TRANSCRIPTIONS……………………………… 359 APPENDIX I: ARTIFACTS RECOVERED FROM THE PEABODY MUSEUM EXPEDITIONS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE………………………………………… 361 APPENDIX J: INDEX TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND ILLUSTRATED ARTIFACTS…………………………………………………………………………… 393 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Frederic Ward Putnam………………………………………………………….…. 2 2. Identified middle Tennessee sites explored by the Peabody Museum………. 12 3. Copper ornament from stone grave 3, Ft. Zollicoffer…………………………… 13 4. Cox style marine shell gorget from stone grave excavated by Mrs. Overton’s gardener………………………......…………………………………. 16 5. Polished quartzite discoidal from stone grave excavated by Mrs. Overton’s gardener……………………….............……………………………. 16 6. Negative painted, human effigy hooded bottle from stone grave 8, Overton Estates…………………………………………………………………………… 17 7. Notched rim bowl from stone grave 8, Overton Estates……………………….