MIDCONTINENTAL JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Salvaging Pioneer History Along the Ohio River
John Claflin
pp. 113-142
Excavation of an area along the Ohio River near Rockport, Indiana, in 1978 revealed the presence of a large historic-period campsite. Containing evidence of campfires, animal bone, lead shot, and a few glass beads, the site held the potential for greater significance than was indicated by its size or physical remains. Analysis of the artifacts and animal bone showed that the site was occupied during the latter half of the eighteenth century, probably for less than 24 hours, for the purpose of butchering and presumably consuming bison, along with other locally procured game. Examination of late eighteenth-century ethnographies, as well as letters and journals from the era, suggest that the ethnic identity of the site's occupants was Euroamerican rather than indigenous aboriginal. At this writing, the campsite still appears to be the only example found so far of a Euroamerican bison butchering site east of the Mississippi River.

The Prison Farm Site (20IA58): A Woodland Occupation in the Grand River Basin of Michigan
Janet G. Brashler, Matthew R. Laidler, and Terrance J. Martin
pp. 143-197
This paper describes an extensive surface collection from the Prison Farm site (20IA58), a Woodland habitation in the middle Grand River basin. The collection from Prison Farm sheds light on a number of research questions relating to Middle Woodland occupation of the region, including the timing of the Hopewellian introduction into Michigan, the relationship between Michigan Middle Woodland groups and others in the midcontinent, and the reconstruction of Middle Woodland subsistence in the region. Analysis of the approximately 4,000-item collection resulted in identification of a major Havana Middle Woodland occupation represented by several hundred ceramic sherds, several hundred projectile points, and a single early Middle Woodland AMS radiocarbon date. In addition, the surface collection contains a well-preserved series of faunal remains that are prehistoric in origin.

Little Spanish Fort: An Early Middle Woodland Enclosure in the Lower Yazoo Basin, Mississippi
H. Edwin Jackson
pp. 199-220
The Little Spanish Fort site (22SH522) is one of three large, semicircular earthen enclosures located in the Lower Yazoo Basin, Mississippi. Although long assumed to be Middle Woodland constructions, fieldwork at the sites heretofore has been insufficient to provide documentation. The investigations at Little Spanish Fort in 1993, which are presented here, document periods of site use from Late Archaic through Mississippian times, with radiocarbon and artifactual data indicating enclosure construction early in the Middle Woodland Marksville period. Ceramic data reflect the transition from Early Woodland Tchefuncte to Marksville, apparently coinciding with the appearance of enclosure construction and use as an aspect of Lower Mississippi Valley ritual behavior.

Prehistoric Occupation of the Calumet Dune Ridge, Northwest Indiana
Mark J. Lynott, Forest Frost, Hector Neff, James W. Cogswell, and Michael D. Glascock
pp. 221-261
Archaeological survey, testing, and excavation of sites associated with the development of a National Park Service campground at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore provide a basis for interpreting prehistoric settlement and land use on the Calumet Dune Ridge on the south shore of Lake Michigan. The project documents the presence of short-term campsites dating roughly from 2400 BP to about 500 BP. The study also presents evidence that the sites associated with the Calumet Dune Ridge are largely intact and often extend to a depth of 0.5 meters below surface. Preliminary ceramic compositional analysis suggests that most ceramics are probably made from local clays. Urban growth and development along the south shore of Lake Michigan have disturbed much of the Calumet Dune Ridge, making archaeological studies at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore important for understanding prehistoric land use in this region.

The Examination of Lithic Artifacts from an Early Archaic Assemblage: Strengthening Inferences Through Multiple Lines of Evidence
Andrew P. Bradbury
pp. 263-288
Several recent papers dealing with flake debris analysis have suggested modeling lithic reduction as a continuum. In this paper, the application of a continuum-based method is demonstrated using data from an Early Archaic component at site 15CU31, in south-central Kentucky. Additional information concerning the flake debris is derived from mass and individual-flake analyses. Technological and microwear analyses were conducted on the recovered modified implements and indicate that most were broken during manufacture and not used on site. The analysis of the recovered materials suggests that the site functioned as a location where the main activity was the production of bifaces for transport and use elsewhere. The analysis of flake debris and modified implements also suggests that biface production at this location was a staged process.