Hurricane Salvage and Public Archaeology: Preliminary Results from Data Recovery Excavations in Kisatchie National Forest of Western Louisiana

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020 caused extensive tree-fall damage to more than 100 sites throughout Kisatchie National Forest, including two large Pre-Contact sites (16VN3504 and 16VN3508). 16VN3504 and 16VN3508 are multi-component sites measuring more than 100 acres and are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to storm damage, they have been heavily impacted by looting. Excavations were conducted at these sites last spring through an agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Public Archaeology Lab. The excavation of 55 cubic meters documented high densities of artifacts and cultural features, including a large number of projectile points, at least three post molds, and activity surfaces, with cultural material extending down more than two meters in depth. Diagnostic artifacts indicate intermittent occupation of the Pleistocene terrace overlooking Drakes Creek from the Paleoindian period (ca. 13,500-10,000 years before present) through the early twentieth century. This presentation shares the preliminary results, including an analysis of more than 30,000 artifacts representing thirteen millennia of Louisiana’s deep history. Mitigating historic properties damaged by hurricanes and looting also presents an opportunity for advancing public archaeology and education.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38399.0