A comparison of lithic and ceramic artifacts from two adjacent Late Woodland villages

Summary

The later Late Woodland period (A.D. 1200-1650) in Southwest Virginia saw the development of circular palisaded villages as the common settlement type. Two of these villages – 44PU8 and 44PU72 – are located 300 meters apart along the floodplain of the New River in Pulaski County, Virginia. Survey and limited test excavations of these sites between 2011 and 2014 defined the site boundaries and resulted in the identification of several features and the recovery of substantial samples of lithic and ceramic artifacts as well as bone and shell ecofacts. This poster compares the lithic and ceramic artifacts from major contexts at these sites by examining the attributes of raw material and manufacturing stage for lithics and vessel portion, temper, and surface treatment and decoration for ceramics. Because of their spatial proximity, this study provides an opportunity to compare sites in identical environmental settings. Even though 44PU72 dates earlier than 44PU8, similarities between the classes of artifacts and attributes examined reflect a use of similar resources and a successful adaptation to this riverine environment by these Late Woodland populations.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage