Cleek-McCabe Site
Encyclopedia
The Cleek-McCabe Site is a Middle Fort Ancient culture (1200 to 1400 CE) archaeological site
near Walton
in Boone County, Kentucky
, in the northern Bluegrass region
of the state. It is situated on Mud Lick Creek approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the Ohio River
. The site has several components, including two mounds and a village.
with one burial mound (Cleek Mound 15Be23) at its eastern end and another (McCabe Mound 15Be8) at its western end.
, and consequently is one of the best documented Fort Ancient burial mounds to date. The mound was about 30 metres (98.4 ft) in diameter and 1 metres (3.3 ft) in height before this excavation. The fill used to construct the mound was sterile clay, midden deposits, and limestone slabs, and under the mound the WPA
excavators found a pre-existing village midden
. Because the mound fill and midden under it contained the same pottery debris, archaeologists believe the mound was constructed very quickly. Within the mound archaeologists found the remains of 21 individuals, most in a flexed or semi-flexed position, although a few were in an extended position. Underneath the mound were found the posthole remains of three structures. The earliest was a circular structure 13 metres (42.7 ft) in diameter. Superimposed over this were two rectangular buildings that are either the remains of one building nested inside the other or two chronologically different structures of different sizes. The larger outer building measured 17 metres (55.8 ft) by 29 metres (95.1 ft) and the smaller inner structure 12 metres (39.4 ft) by 24 metres (78.7 ft). Within the structures were large circular hearths and a prepared floor area. Because of the size of the structures and the lack of everyday debris found near them it is assumed they were for special community activities or functiioned as a charnel house
.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
near Walton
Walton, Kentucky
Walton is a city in Boone and Kenton Counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,635 in the 2010 Census.-Tourism:Nearby Florence offers thoroughbred racing at Turfway Park....
in Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County, Kentucky
Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1798. The population was 118,811 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Burlington. The county is named for frontiersman Daniel Boone...
, in the northern Bluegrass region
Bluegrass region
The Bluegrass Region is a geographic region in the state of Kentucky, United States. It occupies the northern part of the state and since European settlement has contained a majority of the state's population and its largest cities....
of the state. It is situated on Mud Lick Creek approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The site has several components, including two mounds and a village.
Site description
The site is a village (Cleek 15Be22) with a centrally located 50 metres (164 ft) to 60 metres (196.9 ft) wide circular plazaPlaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
with one burial mound (Cleek Mound 15Be23) at its eastern end and another (McCabe Mound 15Be8) at its western end.
McCabe Mound 15Be8
The McCabe Mound was partially excavated in the 1930s by William S. Webb of the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, and consequently is one of the best documented Fort Ancient burial mounds to date. The mound was about 30 metres (98.4 ft) in diameter and 1 metres (3.3 ft) in height before this excavation. The fill used to construct the mound was sterile clay, midden deposits, and limestone slabs, and under the mound the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
excavators found a pre-existing village midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
. Because the mound fill and midden under it contained the same pottery debris, archaeologists believe the mound was constructed very quickly. Within the mound archaeologists found the remains of 21 individuals, most in a flexed or semi-flexed position, although a few were in an extended position. Underneath the mound were found the posthole remains of three structures. The earliest was a circular structure 13 metres (42.7 ft) in diameter. Superimposed over this were two rectangular buildings that are either the remains of one building nested inside the other or two chronologically different structures of different sizes. The larger outer building measured 17 metres (55.8 ft) by 29 metres (95.1 ft) and the smaller inner structure 12 metres (39.4 ft) by 24 metres (78.7 ft). Within the structures were large circular hearths and a prepared floor area. Because of the size of the structures and the lack of everyday debris found near them it is assumed they were for special community activities or functiioned as a charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
.