Icehouse Bottom Site (40MR23): 1977 Excavations

摘要

Between 1967-1981, archaeological survey and excavations in the lower Little Tennessee River valley were conducted in mitigation of the impact of the TVA Tellico Dam. In 1977, excavations were conducted at the Icehouse Bottom site to address certain questions left unanswered by the previous work. Recovery and analysis of archaeobotanical samples yielded remains of corn, other plant foods, and evidence for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment. A suite of radiocarbon dates confirmed the placement of the Middle Woodland component in the mid-fifth century A.D. Refined excavation techniques reaffirmed earlier observations that the limestone tempered Candy Creek ceramic series were coeval with the sand tempered Connestee series. Additional Hopewellian ceramics and lithics were recovered.