Following the Shell: Pxrf Analysis on Engraved Busycon Whelk from Spiro and Cahokia

Author(s): Bobi Deere

Year: 2016

Summary

Marine shell was ubiquitous in the Mississippian Southeast. In an effort to shed light on where the shell originated, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis was done on a sample of Spiro engraved shell, and on Cahokian engraved shell. As a second line of questioning, results were separated by previously assigned styles, including Braden and Craig. At this point, sourcing with the Pxrf only points to either the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Coast. However, interesting questions have arisen in the data about trade routes and interaction among the prehistoric Mississippian people.

Cite this Record

Following the Shell: Pxrf Analysis on Engraved Busycon Whelk from Spiro and Cahokia. Bobi Deere. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Orlando, Florida. 2016 ( tDAR id: 404692)

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Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -91.274; min lat: 24.847 ; max long: -72.642; max lat: 36.386 ;