Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 6-1997 A Statistical Analysis of the Ceramics from the Dieffenderfer Site (20SJ179), St. Joseph County, Michigan Mark A. Steeby Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Steeby, Mark A., "A Statistical Analysis of the Ceramics from the Dieffenderfer Site (20SJ179), St. Joseph County, Michigan" (1997). Master's Theses. 3821. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3821 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CERAMICS FROM THE DIEFFENDERFER SITE (20SJ179), ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Mark A. Steeby A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillmentof the requirements forthe Degree of Master of Arts Department of Anthropology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan June 1997 Copyright by Mark A. Steeby 1997 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the assistance of many individuals. I am especially indebted to Dr. Janet Brashler from Grand Valley State University for her personal assistance, advice and knowledge of ceramics in southwest­ ern Michigan. Her insight and experience are greatly appreciated. I also extend my appreciation and thanks to my main thesis advisor, Dr. William Cremin, forhis advice and critical comments during the formation of this manuscript. His patience and support were instrumental in completing this project. I would also like to thank Dr. Tal Simmons for her assistance in reviewing this manuscript and encouraging me during my stay at Western. A special thank you to Ms. Julie Gant who assisted me in the formattingof this manuscript. I would also like to extend my thanks to my parents, Gary and Joyce Steeby, whose love, patience, encouragement and assistance (sometimes financial) is greatly appreciated. And lastly, I would like to thank my wife, Nadia, whose enduring love, patience and constant encouragement were critical in helping me complete my degree. Mark A. Steeby 11 A STATISTICAL AL�ALYSIS OF THECERAMICS FROM THE DIEFFENDERFER SITE (20SJ179), ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAL� Mark A. Steeby, M.A. Western Michigan University, 1997 The Dieffenderfer site, located in Constantine Township, St. Joseph County, Michigan, is a multi-component site situated in the middle St. Joseph River valley. Calibrated radiocarbon dates from several features at the site suggest multiple re-use during the Late Woodland period from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1400, with the most intensive occupations occurring during the 12th through 14th centuries. These dates are supported by a large Late Woodland ceramic assemblage in association with three spatially discrete activity areas; two of these activity loci are represented by housefloors, suggesting a degree of permanence by the residents. A cluster analysis performed on the Late Woodland ceramic material from the site suggests that the Dieffenderfer occupants were participating in a cultural tradition which was separate and distinct fromthe better knownAllegan tradition of southwestern Michigan. The significance of the site appears to be its intermediate position between those sites in the lower St. Joseph, such as Moccasin Bluff and Wymer, which demonstrate strong cultural ties to Mississippian peoples to the southwest in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois, and those sites located upstream in the middle St. Joseph valley, such as Kline 1 and Whorley Earthwork, that evidence a stronger relationship to Iroquoian groups in northern Michigan, southeastern Michigan, and southern Ontario. The Late Woodland ceramics from the site are described and analyzed in light of these possible cultural relationships. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................... 11 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................ :.................................... V CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 Statement of Problem .. ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ... ... ... ... .... ... ... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 1 Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 II. THE DIEFFENDERFER SITE ................................................................... 6 The Site in Context of St. Joseph Valley Archaeology . ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Site Location and Environment ... ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 14 Site Background and Excavation History.......................................... 21 III. METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE..................................................... 30 Methodology...................................................................................... 30 Technique . ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... ... .... .... ... ... .. ... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. 35 IV. THE DIEFFENDEFER CERAMICS.......................................................... 40 Cluster Analysis Results .. .. .. ... .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ..... .. .. .. .. ... 40 Middle Woodland Ceramics .. .... .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. 50 Late Woodland Ceramics . ... ... .... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 55 Mississippian/Upper Mississippian Ceramics .................................... 78 111 Table of Contents-Continued CHAPTER Miscellaneous UnclassifiedCeramics .............................................. 84 Summary........................................................................................... 85 V. DI SCUSSION............................................................................................. 88 Ceramic Distribution at Dieffenderfer.... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... ... .. .. 88 Ceramics and the Cultural History of the DieffenderferSite . .. .. .. .. .. .. 99 VI. CO NCLUSIONS........................................................................................ 106 APP ENDICES A. Dieffenderfer Site Features. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .... ... .. .... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... 113 B. DieffenderferSite Ceramics ..................................................................... 115 C. Distribution of Body Sherds..................................................................... 152 BIBLIOGRAP HY............................................................................................... 159 IV LIST OF FIGURES 1. The St. Joseph Valley in the Lake Michigan Basin........................................ 3 2. The Location of Sites Mentioned in the Text ............................................... 15 3. The Dieffenderfer Site on the St. Joseph River ........................................... 17 4. The Dieffenderfer Site (20SJ179).. .. ... .. ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ... .. 18 5. Excavation Units at the DieffenderferSite, 20SJ179 .................................. 23 6. Distribution of Features at the Dieffenderfer Site, 20SJ179 .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. 28 7. Cluster Analysis Dendrogram Using Ward's Method .. .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .... 41 V CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Statement of Problem The primary focus of this thesis is the Late Woodland ceramics from the Dieffenderfersite. The purpose of the analysis is to develop a ceramic typology for this material with the objective of delineating the different cultural occupations represented at the site and determining their relative temporal placement. The main goal is to interpret the cultural history of the site and attempt to assess its significance in relationship to other Late Woodland sites in the St. Joseph valley. Before such an analysis can proceed it is first necessary to understand the problem which currently exists with the archaeological record in this region. The Late Woodland period in southernMichigan has been interpreted as a period marked by cultural stability, cooperation and interaction characterized by the movement of people, ideas, resources, and finishedgoods across environmental and social bound­ aries (Brashler 1981; Holman and Kingsley 1996; Kingsley 1977, 1989; Kingsley and Garland 1980; Luedtke 1976). This dynamic process has been evidenced archaeologically at sites in the form of lithic raw materials, ceramics and/or foreigncomponents outside their normal geographical ranges (Holman and Kingsley 1996: 10). Further, it has been observed in the sharing of specific ceramic attributes and attribute configurations amongst the various cultural traditions believed to have occupied the region during this period (Brashler 1981 :329). In southwest Michigan, much of what is known of the Late Woodland period is derived almost exclusively from archaeological sites in the lower Kalamazoo and the 1 2 Grand and Muskegon river drainages. In these drainages, sites are generally plentiful and suggest occupation by groups participating in similar, albeit different,cultural traditions (Brashier 1981). This interpretation is suggested by cultural material, namely ceramics, recovered from sites in these drainages. While the archaeological record