essay

Archaic mortuary sites in the central Mississippi drainage: distribution, structure, and behavioral implications

archaic hunters and gatherers in the american midwestNew YorkPublished In 1983 • Pages: 117-145

By: Charles, Douglas K., Buikstra, Jane E..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
Charles and Buikstra examined Archaic mortuary sites (pre-Titterington and Titterington phases or Middle and Late Archaic) within the central Mississippi River drainage. They surmise the people were already sedentary and that there was significant competition for resources by 6000 B.P. based on the location of cemeteries on bluff-tops. Placing cemeteries at the edge of the bluff means they would be clearly visible from the valley floor and therefore act as territorial markers. They also found that an individual's rank within the group was not as important as establishing membership within the group. ['…Inclusion in the corporate unit is of utmost importance, with individual status rarely deemed significant' (page 134).] An adult's status was based on the 'ability to participate in subsistence activities, whereas infants and children were accorded that right without the necessity of economic production' (page 140).
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Identification
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Cultural participation
Settlement patterns
Burial practices and funerals
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Eastern Middle Archaic
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2001
RegionThe area the document pertains to
North America
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Archaeologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Sarah Berry ; 2000
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
not specified
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
5720 BP - 4880 BP
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Helton phase; central Mississippi River drainage; United States
NotesAdditional notes
Douglas K. Charles and Jane E. Buikstra
Based on a symposium held at the Midwest Archaeological Conference, University of Illinois at Chicago, October 1980
Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-145)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
82024459
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Indians of North America--Middle West--Antiquities