FERNVALE (40WM51) A LATE ARCHAIC OCCUPATION ALONG THE SOUTH HARPETH RIVER IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE Edited by Aaron Deter-Wolf FERNVALE (40WM51): A LATE ARCHAIC OCCUPATION ALONG THE SOUTH HARPETH RIVER IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE Edited by Aaron Deter-Wolf With Contributions By: Andrea Shea Bishop C. Brady Davis Lacey S. Flemming Andrew Gillreath-Brown Shannon C. Hodge Teresa Ingalls Robert L. Jolley Tanya M. Peres Benjamin A. Steere Jesse W. Tune An electronic version of this report is available online at: http://www.tn.gov/environment/arch/ TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION DIVISION OF ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH SERIES NO. 19 2013 Cover Images: Top, view of excavations at Fernvale in May, 1985, facing southeast. Bottom, marine shell gorget and beads from Feature 71. 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. 327379, 300 copies. This public document was promulgated at cost of $12.62 per copy. April 2013 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... ix I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 II. PROJECT HISTORY ........................................................................................ 3 Phase II Testing, 1984 ..................................................................................... 3 Data Recovery, 1985 ....................................................................................... 6 Reanalysis and Completion, 2007–2012 ......................................................... 9 III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ........................................................................ 13 Physiography ................................................................................................. 13 Hydrology ...................................................................................................... 15 Soils ............................................................................................................... 16 Raw Material and Natural Resource Availability ............................................ 17 IV. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................. 19 Previous Archaeological Investigations ......................................................... 19 Prehistoric Occupation of the South Harpeth River Watershed ..................... 21 Archaeological Setting ................................................................................... 25 V. PIT FEATURES .............................................................................................. 29 Feature Classification .................................................................................... 29 Feature Stratigraphy ...................................................................................... 35 Distinctive Features and Deposits ................................................................. 39 Feature 24 ................................................................................................ 39 Feature 58 ................................................................................................ 40 Feature 71 ................................................................................................ 40 Feature 93 ................................................................................................ 42 Burial 24 ................................................................................................... 42 Cultural Affiliations ......................................................................................... 45 VI. POSTHOLES AND STRUCTURES ............................................................... 49 Posthole Features ......................................................................................... 49 Structures ...................................................................................................... 51 Structure 1 ................................................................................................ 51 Structure 2 ................................................................................................ 58 Structure 3 ................................................................................................ 63 Structure Summary .................................................................................. 65 VII. RADIOCARBON DATES .............................................................................. 67 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 68 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) VIII. LITHIC MATERIALS .................................................................................... 73 Debitage and Other Lithic Materials .............................................................. 73 Raw Material Types ................................................................................. 73 Other Lithic Materials ............................................................................... 74 Lithic Tools .................................................................................................... 75 Bifaces ..................................................................................................... 76 Projectile Points ....................................................................................... 76 Additional Lithic Tools .............................................................................. 88 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 89 IX. CERAMIC ARTIFACT ANALYSIS ................................................................. 93 Limestone-Tempered Ceramics .................................................................... 94 Shell-Tempered Ceramics ............................................................................. 95 Unideifiable Temper ...................................................................................... 95 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 95 X. FAUNAL ASSEMBLAGE ................................................................................ 99 Methods ......................................................................................................... 99 Zooarchaeological Data ................................................................................. 99 Non-Mortuary/Non-Structural Features .................................................. 100 Structures ............................................................................................... 100 Dog Burials ............................................................................................. 102 Faunal Remains Associated with Human Burials ................................... 103 Modified Faunal Remains....................................................................... 107 Discussion ................................................................................................... 110 XI. ARCHAEOBOTANICAL ANNALYSIS ......................................................... 115 Plant Food ................................................................................................... 115 Nuts ........................................................................................................ 115 Seeds ..................................................................................................... 116 Plant Food Seasonal Variability ............................................................. 116 Wood Charcoal ........................................................................................... 117 Discussion ................................................................................................... 117 XII. BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS.......................................................... 121 Methods ....................................................................................................... 121 Burial Descriptions ....................................................................................... 123 Burials 1a, 1b, and 1c ............................................................................ 123 Burial 2 ................................................................................................... 123 Burial 3 ..................................................................................................