Research Report Series No. 16 2005 Virginia Department of Historic Resources 280 1 Kensington Avenue Richmond, VA 2322 1 Virginia Department of Hitoric Resources Research Report Serier No. I6 AUTHORS: C. Clifford Boyd, Jr. Donna C. Boyd Michael B. Barber Paul S. Gardner The initial draft of this report was submitted to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 1992. Over the past decade, a great deal has been learned about Late Wood- land cultures across Virginia due, for the most part, to federal and state-funded cultural resource management surveys and excavations. New analysis methods and interpretations have also enhanced our knowledge about the past since 1992. For example, the standards for the analysis of human skeletal remains, which are now standard operating procedure for Dr. Donna Boyd and myself (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994), were not written and published until 1994. For the most part, this published version of the Bonham site analysis retains the lan- guage and commentary of the 1992 draft. Some revisions and additions have been made, especially in terms of radiocarbon dates and their calibration. So, this document should be read and interpreted largely in light of what was state-of-the-art knowledge about the Late Woodland cultures of Southwest Virginia in 1992. Cliff Boyd January 2003 The Bonham site (44SM7), a Late Woodland village complex located along the Middle Fork of the Holston River in Smyth County, Virginia, was tested and excavated in 1989 and 1990. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources, other state and federal enti- ties, and volunteers from the Archeological Society of Virginia provided support for this research. The 1989 test trenches uncovered 25 Native American features (including five with human remains) and evidence that at least two major village sites overlapped in the 44SM7 area. Some of the site area was protected from impending industrial development by a cap of fill dirt; however, the unprotected area of one site was subjected to salvage excavations in 1990. The main goal of these excavations was to uncover and remove any human remains from burials before they were destroyed. As a result, 25 refuse-filled fea- tures, three postmolds and 26 burial pits were partially or completely excavated. The site plan showed several palisade lines and features and burials generally clustered along the palisades. The recovered lithic and ceramic artifacts, as well as the human remains, verte- brate faunal remains, and samples of carbonized plant remains were analyzed. The predominant lithic raw materials used for producing stone tools were chert and chalce- dony, and most of the projectile points were small triangular arrow tips common on most Late Woodland sites. Ceramics were predominantly grit, limestone, or gastropod shell- tempered with knotted net impressed surfaces. Some decorations on rim sherds suggested contact with Mississippian groups to the south. The remains of 35 individuals were ana- lyzed; all major age and sex groups were represented in the human remains. Many of the individuals showed high incidences of nutritional, traumatic, or degenerative pathologies. Faunal utilization focused predominately on white-tailed deer and botanical remains sug- gested a mixed economy, with corn, beans, squash, and tobacco being the important domesticated plants. Even though looting extensively disturbed the Bonham site, the site is significant in the wealth of information it still preserves about Late Woodland peoples of Southwest Virginia. Editor? Note ....................................................................................................................ii ... Abstract ..........................................................................................................................111 Contents .........................................................................................................................iv Figures ............................................................................................................................. v Tables............................................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgments ......................... ............................................................................... vii 1: 44SM7: The Site and Its Environment ............................................................................1 2 Analysis Methods ............................................................................................................5 3: Context and Feature Descriptions .................................................................................11 4: Skeletal Analysis of Prehistoric Human Remains ...........................................................33 Donna C. Boyd 5: Lithic Artifact Analysis .................................................................................................. 45 6: Ceramic Artifact Analysis .............................................................................................. 53 7: Analysis of Vertebrate Faunal Remains and Bone and Shell Artifacts .............................. 65 Michael B. Barber 8: Carbonized Plant Remains ............................................................................................ 77 Paul S. Gardner 9: Summary and Recommendations .................................................................................. 87 10: References Cited ........................................................................................................... 89 Appendix A: Inventory of Human Skeletal Remains Donna C. Boyd Appendix B: Inventory of Ceramic Artifacts Section of U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute Chilhowie quadrangle showing the location of 44SM7 ................................................................... 2 Originally defined boundary of 44SM7 showing the 1989 trenches and the 1990 excavation area ............................................................. 3 West trench.. Trench 1 .................................................................................................... 7 East trench.. Trench 2 .....................................................................................................8 View of East trench showing Feature 2A in foreground ...................................................9 General view of the site with people excavating features ...................................................9 1990 site plan ................................................................................................................12 Map 1: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 13 Map 2: 1990 excavations ...............................................................................................14 Map 3: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 15 Map 4: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 16 Map 5: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 17 Map 6: 1990 excavations ...............................................................................................18 Map 7: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 19 Map 8: 1990 excavations ............................................................................................... 20 Feature 1E .....................................................................................................................21 Feature 11 ......................................................................................................................23 Features 1L and 1M ...................................................................................................... 23 Feature 1N .................................................................................................................... 23 Feature 2G .................................................................................................................... 24 Feature 10A .................................................................................................................. 26 Feature 11A .............................................................................................................. 26 Feature 1 lC .................................................................................................................. 27 Features 13F and 13G ...................................................................................................28 Feature 2 1A .................................................................................................................. 29 Feature 22F ................................................................................................................... 31 Feature 23C .................................................................................................................. 31 Feature 27A ..................................................................................................................32 Vertebral osteoarthritis ..................................................................................................39 Arthritic deterioration of the right knee .........................................................................40 Bone loss and arthritis to arms of individual 1 1E ..........................................................