Figure 46. Cutting a Horizontal Profile in Square 27R32, Showing Use of Hand Tools
The analysis and interpretation of the materials excavated pointed up the necessity of obtaining many notes and saving all material from the site. Part of the analysis was done prior to the finish of the excavation and this was helpful in gaining fuller information from some of the later parts of the excavation. Most of the analysis was done at the Chucalissa State Park Museum, Memphis, Tennessee, through the courtesy of the museum director, Charles Nash.
The site covered approximately four acres and the portions excavated included the village living area with house sites, a plaza area, and cemetery area. What was considered to be a fair sample was obtained from all of these areas. Incidental to this sample was the sampling of the earlier component since all excavations were carried to sterile subsoil.
In the analysis most of the time was spent on the pottery since it seemed probable that the pottery was the most diagnostic in determining the cultural position and the time of the site. It was broadly apparent from the beginning of analysis that the pottery represented two distinct traditions. The greatest part of it was the standard shell tempered pottery of the area, Neeley’s Ferry Plain with a small percentage of decorated types on the Neeley’s Ferry Plain base. The secondary type was a sand tempered ware that was plain, cord marked and textile marked. The sand tempered ware was representative of the early component on the site and was of a type that has not been named for this particular part of the lower Mississippi valley.
The sand tempered pottery had some variety and was divided upon the basis of the size of the cord markings as well as the textile markings. Only a small percentage was plain. Seemingly associated with the sand tempered pottery was a lithic complex that has not been described elsewhere. The prominent projectile point or dart point type that appeared to be associated was less than 2½ inches in length and was relatively thick. It had little or no shoulders and was approximately twice as long as wide. There were no diagnostic points that were associated definitely with this component but it is possible that the one Motley point found on the site gives an indication of the time period of the component. The Motley points supposedly date between 1300 and 200 B.C. A Uvalde point was also found on the site but there is no assurance that this was not an accidental inclusion in the site. Four Gary points were also found but it is just as possible that these may have been associated with the later component on the site.
There were no features that could be definitely related to the early component and it was necessary to separate the early component primarily upon typology and secondarily upon superposition. One reason for this was the fact that the site itself is on a very sandy bench of land and it seems probable that the evidence of the early occupation was shifted and many were exposed at the time the later occupation took place causing a certain amount of mixing in the deposits. Furthermore, earthquake activity had disturbed the deposits ([Fig. 47]). The old surface that the site lies on is the A1 surface of the Ohio according to Fisk (1944 Plate 15 sheet 1).
Figure 47. Vertical and Horizontal Profiles Showing the Intrusion of Sand into Cracks in the Soil, Judged to be caused by Earthquake Activity
The sand tempered pottery is very similar to the Barnes series that has been named in the Cairo Lowland area (Williams 1956). The ware also fits the description of the Thomas Plain, Blue Lakes cord marked and Twin Lakes fabric impressed (Phillips, et. al., 1951). It was decided not to utilize the names of the types from either area since the descriptions were not sufficient for it to be certain that the cord marked series here could be equated with either the lower alluvial valley types or the Cairo Lowland area. It does seem relatively certain, however, that the early component on the site is representative of a period that may have preceded the Baytown or Middle Woodland period or which may have been contemporaneous with it. It is of interest that no Baytown Pottery occurred on the site. The fact that Baytown pottery occurs in some profusion on sites in the surrounding area might indicate that the early component on the Lawhorn site is earlier than Baytown and that the site was never utilized during the Baytown or Middle Woodland period.