Archeological Survey, Initial Site Testing and Geomorphic Study of Ditches 7, 13 and Lower Buffalo Creek in Craighead, Mississippi and Poinsett Counties, Arkansas.

摘要

An archeological survey of about 67 miles along Ditches 7, 13, and Buffalo Creek Ditch was performed by Spears Professional Environmental and Archeological Research Service (SPEARS) for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District (Contract No. DACW 66-86-C-0072). The majority of the archeological survey and initial site testing was conducted by 2 field directors, 1 supervisor and 2 crew members over a period of 27 days between July 22 and August 30, 1986. Combinations of survey strategies including pedestrian transects and screened shovel tests at 30 meter intervals were utilized depending on surface visibility. The survey resulted in the identification and recording of 66 new sites and revisits at 4 previously recorded sites. Initial site testing was conducted at over half of these cultural resources. Sites were found associated with three landforms identified in the project area which include natural levees, the braided stream terrace, and braided stream fill. Sediments from several locations and two backhoe trenches were analyzed for grain size and texture. Deep stratified sites were found on the natural levees. Other prehistoric middens were located in the braided stream channel fills and in sediments deposited on top of the braided terrace. Comparisons are made among Late Woodland Dunklin phase middens found. The earliest sites identified date to the Late Archaic (and possibly earlier) and were found in the western part of the project area.