The Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project

An Archaeological Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Southern Prairie Peninsula

1st Edition - January 1, 1982
Editors: Michael J. O'Brien, Robert E. Warren, Dennis E. Lewarch
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 2 - 6 9 7 5 - 7

The Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project: An Archaeological Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Southern Prairie Peninsula provides an overview of the Cannon Reservoir Human… Read more

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The Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project: An Archaeological Study of Cultural Adaptations in the Southern Prairie Peninsula provides an overview of the Cannon Reservoir Human Ecology Project, formed in May 1977 as an interdisciplinary, regional archaeology program to investigate human adaptations on the southern fringes of the mid-continental Prairie Peninsula. The research centered on the area of northeastern Missouri in and around the site of the proposed Clarence Cannon Dam and Reservoir. The book demonstrates how objectives and goals have been integrated with various methods and techniques to generate and analyze a vast amount of data in a regional archaeological project. Comprised of 18 chapters, this book first defines the objectives and goals of the project, describes the project area, and discusses the research design. A brief history of archaeological work in the region is also presented. The next section assesses the environment and implications for human settlement in the area, citing various physical and cultural changes that occurred during the Holocene and presenting developmental models of prehistoric and historical settlement systems. Subsequent chapters explore the chronology of the project area; analysis of lithic artifacts and vertebrate and archaeobotanical remains; prehistoric community patterns; and prehistoric and historic settlement patterns. This monograph will appeal to students, specialists, and researchers in the fields of archaeology and anthropology.

Contributor

Figure

Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I Research Orientation

1 Introduction

The Project Objective

Goals of the Project

The Project Area

History of Research in the Project Area

The Data Base

2 The Approach

Human Ecology

Regional Analysis

Community Pattern Analysis

Development of a Research Strategy

The Cannon Project Research Strategy

Part II Environment and Predictions

3 The Historical Setting

Climate

Landforms

Water

Soils

Flora

Fauna

Lithic Resources

Conclusions

4 Holocene Dynamics

Climatic Change

Culture Change

Summary

5 Models of Adaptation and Change

A Model of Prehistoric Adaptation and Change

A Model of Historic Adaptation and Change

Part III Regional Chronology

6 Chronology of the Preceramic Period

The Sites

The Projectile Point Classification

Projectile Point Class Distributions

Summary and Conclusions

7 Chronology of the Ceramic Period

Ceramic-Period Chronology at Pigeon Roost Creek

Monroe Phase 200 B.C.-A.D. 200

Central Valley Phase A.D. 200-600

Salt River Phase A.D. 600-750

Ralls Phase A.D. 750-1000

Perry Phase A.D. 1000-1400

Summary

8 A Regional Chronology of the Early Historical Period

An Overview of Settlement in the Salt Valley

Organization of Local Government and Settlement Prior to 1820

Organization of Local Government and Settlement, 1820-1830

Organization of Local Government and Town Formation in 1831

Township and Town Formation, 1832-1839

Economic Expansion, 1840 to the Civil War

Summary

Part IV Functional and Economic Indicators

9 Analysis of Lithic Artifacts

Lithic Analysis in 1981: A Brief Overview

Considerations in Developing the Cannon Lithic Analysis Systems

Description of the Cannon Project Lithic Classification Systems

Conclusions

10 Analysis of Vertebrate Remains

Methods of Reconstruction

The Vertebrate Assemblages

Vertebrate Taxa Encountered

Interassemblage Variability

Conclusions

11 Analysis of Archaeobotanical Remains

Site Collections

Plant Taxa Encountered

Discussion of Plant Remains

Summary

Part V Community Patterns

12 Prehistoric Community Patterns: Surface Definition

Surface Collection in the Regional Analytic Framework

A Review of Surface Formation Processes

Collection Techniques

Analysis of Surface Data

Summary and Conclusions

13 Prehistoric Community Patterns: Subsurface Definition

Community Composition

The Organization of Communities

14 Prehistoric Community Patterns: Surface to Subsurface Comparison

Surface Artifact Density and Location of Subsurface Features

The Distribution of Surface Versus Subsurface Artifact Classes

Summary

15 The Structure of Historic Communities

The Organization of Rural Communities

The Organization of Rural Farmsteads

The Organization of Rural Households: The Residential Structure

The Organization of Rural Households: Distributions of Portable Artifacts

The Organization of Rural Households: Intersite Comparison of Selected Artifact Classes

Overview of Rural Household Analysis

Summary

Part VI Patterns of Settlement

16 Prehistoric Settlement Patterns

Site Survey

Site Frequency Variation

Site Context Variation

Site Content Variation

Discussion and Conclusions

17 Historic Settlement Patterns

The Data Base

Analysis of Settlement Location Data

Testing the Implications of the Model

Conclusions

Part VII Concluding Remarks

18 Conclusions

Prehistoric Adaptations

Historic Adaptations

Grassland, Forest, and Man: The Future

References

Index