Medora Site
Encyclopedia
The Medora Site is an archaeological site
that is a type site
for the prehistoric Plaquemine culture
period. The name for the culture is taken from the proximity of Medora to the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana
. The site is in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
, and was inhabited from approximately 1300 to 1600 CE. It consisted of two mounds
separated by a plaza
. In the winter of 1939-40 excavation of this site was undertaken by the Louisiana State Archaeological Survey, a joint project of Louisiana State University
and the Work Projects Administration. It was directed by Dr. James A. Ford
, and George I. Quimby. The excavations of the site were instrumental in defining the characteristics of the Plaquemine period and culture.
adjacent to Bayou Bourbeaux (or Bourbeau or Bourbaux) on the flood plain of Manchac Point (also called Australia Point). Manchac Point is a hair-pin bend of the Mississippi River. Bayou Bourbeaux, a point stream which flows away from the river to the west, drains the back slopes of the natural levees that border Manchac Point, and connects with Bayou Gross Tete. The land surrounding the site is wet and subject to annual flooding, being only twenty feet above sea level
. The site is part of the Medora Plantation, after which it is named, and had been cultivated for many years prior to the excavation.
of the Mississippi River
began migrating from north to south across the area now occupied by Manchac Point at stage 9 (900 CE). The land of which Manchac Point is composed was not built up behind the meander until the beginning of stage 13 (1300 CE), meaning it was not suitable for habitation until then. And since all artifacts found at the site were from the Plaquemine period and not the succeeding Natchez
period which begins in 1700, the dates for occupation are approximately from 1300 to 1600 CE.
about 125 feet (38.1 m) to 130 feet (39.6 m) at the base and 10 feet (3 m) high. The sides sloped inward toward the top, which is flat, except for a conical projection 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter in the northeast corner of the summit that raises the gross elevation to 13 feet (4 m). It was probably surmounted by a square or rectangular temple. About 400 feet (121.9 m) to the southeast of Mound A was a low mound about 100 feet (30.5 m) in diameter and 5 feet (1.5 m) high, designated Mound B. Although it has been modified by plowing and flood waters, and is now only about 2 foot (0.6096 m) high. It was flat-topped, with an irregular oval outline. Its pre-mound surface was found to have a wall-trench structure, probably a house or temple. The floor contained patches of burned clay and fragments of charcoal. At the center there was a rounded fire basin 2 foot (0.6096 m) in diameter and six inches deep, lined with burned clay. The mounds were composed of gray clay and brown silt, applied basket load at a time. Between Mounds A and B was a plaza
about 400 feet (121.9 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide. Its west side bordered Bayou Bourbeaux.
About 18,508 pottery sherds were obtained from the Medora Site, classified into more than twenty different pottery types. About 90 per cent were classified as the Addis Plain variety, although Plaquemine Brushed; Manchac Incised; Hardy Incised; Medora Incised; Harrison Bayou Incised; Evangeline Interior Incised; Australia Interior Incised; L'Eau Noire Incised; Dupree Incised; Lulu Linear Punctated; Chevalier Stamped, Coles Creek Incised, Larto Red Filmed, and Pontchartrain Check Stamped were also present.
The pottery of the Medora Site was uniform in paste characteristics, soft, clay-tempered, and poorly fired, with the exception of a few shell-tempered sherds
. The color generally ranges in grays and tans, with a smooth surface finish that feels soft and chalky to the touch. Although the vast majority of the pottery was plain, about 10 percent had decorative elements applied. The designs were usually simple arrangements of lines, made by incising, engraving, brushing, and punctating, with incising and brushing the most common technique. A few of the type L'Eau Noire Incised have complicated curvilinear elements. The designs are usually placed on the exterior vessel wall, mostly confined to the rim. The most common vessel forms were jars and bowls, with some cups and carinated bowls.
vicinity. Only three projectile points of chipped flint were found at the site, although several objects of polished greenstone
and sandstone were found. Two ovate-oblong greenstone celts and a sandstone discoidal were found in the fill of Mound A. A spoon-shaped object of ground and polished greenstone was found in the fill Mound B. A discoidal was probably used in the well-known game of chunkey
, which was played by almost all of the historic Indians of the Southeast. It is very likely that chunkey was played ceremonially in the plaza of the Medora Site. A cylindrical earspool of fired clay with flat faces and straight sides was found in Mound A. It was 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter and 1.8 centimetre (0.708661417322835 in) thick, with engraved geometric designs composed of a circle and curvilinear elements.
and the Work Projects Administration. It was directed by Dr. James A. Ford
, and George I. Quimby. The excavations of the site were instrumental in defining the characteristics of the Plaquemine period and culture. Permission to investigate this site was given by the owner of the land, Mr. W. L. Grace, Jr., of Plaquemine, Louisiana
.
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,...
that is a type site
Type site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
for the prehistoric Plaquemine culture
Plaquemine culture
The Plaquemine culture was an archaeological culture in the lower Mississippi River Valley in western Mississippi and eastern Louisiana. Good examples of this culture are the Medora Site in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, and the Anna, Emerald Mound, Winterville and Holly Bluff sites located...
period. The name for the culture is taken from the proximity of Medora to the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The site is in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
West Baton Rouge Parish is one of the sixty-four parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the smallest in total area. The parish seat is Port Allen and as of 2010, the population was 23,788. The parish has a highly-rated school system and is one of the few in Louisiana that has privatized...
, and was inhabited from approximately 1300 to 1600 CE. It consisted of two mounds
Platform mound
A platform mound is any earthwork or mound intended to support a structure or activity.-Eastern North America:The indigenous peoples of North America built substructure mounds for well over a thousand years starting in the Archaic period and continuing through the Woodland period...
separated by a plaza
Plaza
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...
. In the winter of 1939-40 excavation of this site was undertaken by the Louisiana State Archaeological Survey, a joint project of Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and the Work Projects Administration. It was directed by Dr. James A. Ford
James A. Ford
James Alfred Ford was an American archaeologist. He was born in Water Valley, Mississippi, on February 12, 1911. He became interested in work on Native American mound research while growing up in Mississippi.-Archaeological work:...
, and George I. Quimby. The excavations of the site were instrumental in defining the characteristics of the Plaquemine period and culture.
Location
The Medora Site is located in West Baton Rouge Parish, LouisianaWest Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
West Baton Rouge Parish is one of the sixty-four parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the smallest in total area. The parish seat is Port Allen and as of 2010, the population was 23,788. The parish has a highly-rated school system and is one of the few in Louisiana that has privatized...
adjacent to Bayou Bourbeaux (or Bourbeau or Bourbaux) on the flood plain of Manchac Point (also called Australia Point). Manchac Point is a hair-pin bend of the Mississippi River. Bayou Bourbeaux, a point stream which flows away from the river to the west, drains the back slopes of the natural levees that border Manchac Point, and connects with Bayou Gross Tete. The land surrounding the site is wet and subject to annual flooding, being only twenty feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The site is part of the Medora Plantation, after which it is named, and had been cultivated for many years prior to the excavation.
Date
It was possible to date the site by geological and archaeological means and obtain an estimate of the period of time in which the site was occupied. According to the Louisiana Geological Survey abandoned river course maps of Harold Norman Fisk, a meanderMeander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
began migrating from north to south across the area now occupied by Manchac Point at stage 9 (900 CE). The land of which Manchac Point is composed was not built up behind the meander until the beginning of stage 13 (1300 CE), meaning it was not suitable for habitation until then. And since all artifacts found at the site were from the Plaquemine period and not the succeeding Natchez
Natchez
Natchez may refer to:* Natchez people, a Native American nation* Natchez language, the language of that Native American tribe* Natchez, Mississippi, United States* Natchez, Louisiana, United States* Natchez, Indiana, United States...
period which begins in 1700, the dates for occupation are approximately from 1300 to 1600 CE.
Mounds
The main part of the Medora Site is a pyramid and plaza arrangement. Mound A is a platform moundPlatform mound
A platform mound is any earthwork or mound intended to support a structure or activity.-Eastern North America:The indigenous peoples of North America built substructure mounds for well over a thousand years starting in the Archaic period and continuing through the Woodland period...
about 125 feet (38.1 m) to 130 feet (39.6 m) at the base and 10 feet (3 m) high. The sides sloped inward toward the top, which is flat, except for a conical projection 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter in the northeast corner of the summit that raises the gross elevation to 13 feet (4 m). It was probably surmounted by a square or rectangular temple. About 400 feet (121.9 m) to the southeast of Mound A was a low mound about 100 feet (30.5 m) in diameter and 5 feet (1.5 m) high, designated Mound B. Although it has been modified by plowing and flood waters, and is now only about 2 foot (0.6096 m) high. It was flat-topped, with an irregular oval outline. Its pre-mound surface was found to have a wall-trench structure, probably a house or temple. The floor contained patches of burned clay and fragments of charcoal. At the center there was a rounded fire basin 2 foot (0.6096 m) in diameter and six inches deep, lined with burned clay. The mounds were composed of gray clay and brown silt, applied basket load at a time. Between Mounds A and B was a plaza
Plaza
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...
about 400 feet (121.9 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide. Its west side bordered Bayou Bourbeaux.
Pottery
The pottery of the Medora Site was uniform in paste characteristics, soft, clay-tempered, and poorly fired, with the exception of a few shell-tempered sherds
Mississippian culture pottery
Mississippian culture pottery is the ceramic tradition of the Mississippian culture found as artifacts in archaeological sites in the American Midwest and Southeast. It is often characterized by the adoption and use of riverine shell-tempering agents in the clay paste. Shell tempering is one of...
. The color generally ranges in grays and tans, with a smooth surface finish that feels soft and chalky to the touch. Although the vast majority of the pottery was plain, about 10 percent had decorative elements applied. The designs were usually simple arrangements of lines, made by incising, engraving, brushing, and punctating, with incising and brushing the most common technique. A few of the type L'Eau Noire Incised have complicated curvilinear elements. The designs are usually placed on the exterior vessel wall, mostly confined to the rim. The most common vessel forms were jars and bowls, with some cups and carinated bowls.
Stone
Although more than 18,000 pottery sherds were found, only seven artifacts of stone were found at the Medora Site. Reddish pebbles of flinty stone were found in Mound A, even though they do not naturally occur in the vicinity of the Medora Site. They must have been brought there, possibly from the Natchez, MississippiNatchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
vicinity. Only three projectile points of chipped flint were found at the site, although several objects of polished greenstone
Greenstone (archaeology)
Greenstone is a common generic term for valuable, green-hued minerals and metamorphosed igneous rocks and stones, that were used in the fashioning of hardstone carvings such as jewelry, statuettes, ritual tools, and various other artefacts in early cultures...
and sandstone were found. Two ovate-oblong greenstone celts and a sandstone discoidal were found in the fill of Mound A. A spoon-shaped object of ground and polished greenstone was found in the fill Mound B. A discoidal was probably used in the well-known game of chunkey
Chunkey
Chunkey is a game of Native American origin. It was played by rolling disc shaped stones across the ground and throwing spears at them in an attempt to place the spear as close to the stopped stone as possible...
, which was played by almost all of the historic Indians of the Southeast. It is very likely that chunkey was played ceremonially in the plaza of the Medora Site. A cylindrical earspool of fired clay with flat faces and straight sides was found in Mound A. It was 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in diameter and 1.8 centimetre (0.708661417322835 in) thick, with engraved geometric designs composed of a circle and curvilinear elements.
Excavations
The land is part of the Medora Plantation, after which the site is named, and had been cultivated for many years prior to the excavation.In the winter of 1939-40 excavation of this site was undertaken by the Louisiana State Archaeological Survey, a joint project of Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and the Work Projects Administration. It was directed by Dr. James A. Ford
James A. Ford
James Alfred Ford was an American archaeologist. He was born in Water Valley, Mississippi, on February 12, 1911. He became interested in work on Native American mound research while growing up in Mississippi.-Archaeological work:...
, and George I. Quimby. The excavations of the site were instrumental in defining the characteristics of the Plaquemine period and culture. Permission to investigate this site was given by the owner of the land, Mr. W. L. Grace, Jr., of Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
External links
- Plaquemine Culture
- http://www.nps.gov/seac/outline/05-woodland/index.htm