Prelude to Removal: Tallisi Phase Transformations in Muscogee Creek Daily Life

Summary

Beginning with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Jackson and ending with the forced removal of most Creeks on the Trail of Tears, the Tallisi Phase (1814-1836) was a period of tremendous cultural transformation for the Creeks of Southeastern North America. Historical documents suggest the most profound of these changes were alterations in political structure, domestic economies, and demographics. This paper examines the archaeological and historical records to evaluate the impacts of these changes on Creek daily life. Results suggest increased out-migration from Creek towns, the proliferation of homesteads across the landscape, new forms of domestic architecture, decreased diversity in Creek-produced ceramics, increased use of American tablewares, and fundamental changes in Creek politics and domestic economies. Despite important areas of cultural continuity, Tallisi Phase sites provide ample archaeological evidence that the cultural changes discussed in many historical sources were widespread and had profound impacts on Creek daily life.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Echoes: Indigenous Communities in the Americas   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 550