.- ~_4 . Is!~¥r~ ~e~ ~~ "" ...... &.4I~""" ... ogtcal Survey m the Mobile-Tensaw Delta BULLETIN ALABAMA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The scientific publication of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. Richard L. Mayden, Editor,John C. Hall, Managing Editor. BULLETIN ALABAMA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY is published by the Alabama Museum of Natural History, a unit of The University of Alabama Museums. The BULLETIN succeeds its predecessor, the MUSEUM PAPERS, which was termi­ nated in 1961 upon the transfer of the Museum to the University from its parent organization, the Geological Survey of Alabama. The BULLETIN is devoted primarily to scholarship and research concerning the natural history of Alabama and the Southeast. It appears twice yearly in consecu­ tively numbered issues. 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ISSN: 0196-1039 Copyright 1998 by The Alabama Museum of Natural History ))~({ •"" __.~ I w)jO{( ALABAMA MUSEUM of Natural History Bulletin 19 June 1, 1998 The Mound Island Project: An Archaeological Survey in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta by Richard S. Fuller and Ian W. Brown THE UNIVERSIlY OF ALABAMA TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA Dedicated to DOUGLAS E. JONES Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................... iv Between Mounds I and] ................................... 90 List of Figures ................................................................... vi Mound] .............................................................. 90 Introduction ...................................................................... 1 MoundK ............................................................ 93 Research Design ................................................................ 2 Mound L ............................................................ 94 Reconnaissance Survey ................................................ 4 Mound M .................... ....................................... 99 Intensive Survey ............................................................ 4 Mound N .................................. ........................ 100 The Daily Log .................................................................... 5 Mound 0 .......................................................... 100 Results of the Survey .................... ................................... 31 Mound P ........................................................... 100 Site Summary .............................................................. 31 Mounds Qand R ............................................. 102 Artifact Analysis .......................................................... 31 Buried Midden North of Mound P ................ 103 Sites and Collections ....................................................... 37 The "Canal" Midden ....................................... 103 Middle-Tensaw Point (lBa272) ................................. 37 Summary of the Bottle Creek Collections ..... 105 Low Water (lBa443) ................................................... 37 Dominic Creek (lBa263) ......................................... 105 Middle River (lMb107) .............................................. 39 Bayou]essamine (lBa264) ....................................... 116 Whip-O-Will (lBa274) ................................................ 42 River Cane (lBa247) ................................................ 116 Carpenter (lMb179) .................................................. 42 1Ba246 ....................................................................... 118 Little Lizard Creek (l Ba195) ..................................... 45 Larry Island Branch (lBa269) ................................ 118 1Ba402 ......................................................................... 53 Briar Lake Slough (lBa270) .................................... 120 1Ba431 ....................................... .................................. 53 Fisher Island South (lBa273) .................................. 122 Tensaw River (lBa271) ............................................... 54 Farmar's Bluff (lBa275) .......................................... 123 Bottle Creek (lBa2) .................................................... 54 1Ba212 ....................................................................... 123 History of Investigations ........................................ 56 Live Oak Landing (lBa438) .................................... 123 The Recent Survey ................................................. 58 1Ba253 ....................................................................... 124 Mound A ............................................................ 58 1Ba214 ....................................................................... 124 Between Mounds A and B ................................. 61 Squirrel Bayou (lBa262) ......................................... 124 Mound B ............................................................ 62 Miffiin Lake #1 (lBa499) ......................................... 126 Mound C ............................................................ 67 Mifflin Lake #2 (lBa500) ......................................... 128 Mound D ............................................................ 68 The Alligator Lake "Mound" (No Site No.) ........... 131 Mound E ............................................................ 71 1Ba173 ....................................................................... 132 Mound F ............................................................. 75 Summary and Conclusions ........................................... 132 Between Mounds F and G ................................. 76 APPENDIX: Archaeological Phases and Complexes of Mound G ............................................................ 79 the Mobile-Tensaw Basin and Alabama Coast from Mound H ............................................................ 83 1400 B.C. to the Historic Period ............................. 144 Mound I ............................................................. 86 References Cited ............................... ............................ 151 List of Tables Table 1 Mound Island Project-site summary ......... 32 Table 24. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2), Mound Table 2 Mound Island Project-named pottery B, terrace ....................................................... 68 classes ............................................................. 34 Table 25. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2), Mound Table 3 Artifacts from the Middle-Tensaw Point B, main part of mound ................................. 69 site (lBa272) ................................................. 37 Table 26. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (1 Ba2), Mound Table 4. Artifacts from the Low Water site (lBa443) B, main part of mound ................................. 70 . ....................................................................... 38 Table 27. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (1 Ba2), Mound Table 5. Middle River (lMbl07), U.S.A. test excava- B, summit ...................................................... 71 tion-pottery classes by midden zone ......... 39 Table 28. Bottle Creek (lBa2), Mound B, main Table 6. Artifacts from the Middle River site mound ........................................................... 72 (IMbl07) ....................................................... 41 Table 29. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2) , Table 7. Artifacts from the Whip-O-Will site Mound C ........................................................ 73 (IBa274) ........................................................ 43 Table 30. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2), Table 8. Artifacts from the Carpenter site (lMbI79) Mound D ....................................................... 74 . ....................................................................... 44 Table 31. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2), Mound Table 9. Artifacts from Little Lizard Creek (lBaI95), E, southwest slope ......................................... 76 Locale I, beach .............................................. 48 Table 32. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (IBa2), Mound Table 10. Artifacts from Little Lizard Creek (lBaI95), E, southwest slope ......................................... 77 Locale I, midden ........................................... 49 Table 33. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (lBa2), Mound Table 11. Artifacts from Little Lizard Creek (lBaI95), E, northeast slope ......................................... 78 Locale II, upper and lower middens ........... 50 Table 34. Artifacts from Bottle Creek (1 Ba2), Mound Table 12. Artifacts from Little Lizard Creek (lBaI95), E, summit ....................................................... 79 Locale II, beach