Ceramic Analysis of Woodland through Mississippian Occupation at Pierce Mounds, Northwest Florida

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Located at the Apalachicola River mouth in northwest Florida, the Pierce Mounds site (8Fr14) is the largest ceremonial center in the region and a hub for human activity from the Early Woodland to Mississippian periods (ca. 500 BC–AD 1500). Previous research identified interesting but confusing settlement patterns, including a possible oval plaza formed by Woodland and Mississippian mounds, and two distinct Mississippian strata separated by a flood deposit. The absence of Late Woodland evidence raises questions about continuous occupation at Pierce. This study uses a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer to analyze the chemical compositions of ceramics, combining these findings with ceramic typology and radiocarbon dates. Significant differences in clay sources between Woodland and Mississippian ceramics from various contexts imply different area preferences: Woodland people favored the western side, while Mississippian people preferred the east. Additionally, ceramics from contexts lacking diagnostic artifacts share similar clay sources with typical Mississippian types, indicating a potential transitional Late Woodland period. The results suggest intentional site maintenance by later Mississippian people who avoided earlier Woodland areas, implying continuity of knowledge and repeated occupation. In summary, this study integrates quantitative and qualitative ceramic analysis to uncover occupation patterns and refine the site’s chronology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52145