Transcript An Archaeology Survey of Mulberry Creek

An Archaeology Survey of
Mulberry Creek
A SARS Thesis Presentation
by Will Gulley
May 8th, 2007
Research Statement
What will an archaeological survey of
Mulberry Creek yield, and how can it be
connected other sites found in the region?
The Mulberry Creek region highlighted in blue.
The Catawba River
and the multiple
tributaries that stem
around it.
Highlighted is the
Mulberry Creek
Survey project
Known archaeology sites based on the Catawba River and tributaries,
and the relation to the Mulberry Creek Survey.
Aerial photo the survey land, and the approximate locations of
the known sites
Known Burke Phase sites.
Note the lack of sites in the highlighted area
Note the
visible
soapstone
temper
Temper is a
substance
added to
ceramics to
strengthen the
vessel and
allow for even
firing
Front and back examples of Burke Phase curvilinear complicated
stamped pottery.
An example of a full Burke Phase Curvilinear complicated stamped ceramic vessel
To the Right, an artifact as it may
appear during survey
To the left, ideal conditions
for surface survey work. The
site to the left, however was
not in my project area.
Imagine the corn rows to the
left stretching seven feet tall.
Plowed rows in the Berry Site field, leaving a good setup
for systematic surface survey.
Gravelling is the process of shearing off the soil in fields to get to the rocks and gravel located
underneath. Gravelling destroys archaeology sites, leaving behind a field full of backfill.
Coincidentally, the gravelling companies have large collections of artifacts that are rescued from
atop the sifters before the rocks hit the crushers. Still, these site devourers leave nothing left
behind.
Results?
Using the three methods mentioned earlier, I was
able to locate and document six new archaeology
sites in the Mulberry Creek Area. They are labled as
MCS’s (Mulberry Creek Survey) 1-6.
Burke Phase Sites
MCS 1, 2, 3, and 6 have been identified as Burke Phase
archaeology sites, thanks to collections and three systematic
surveys. Unfortunately due to permissions and gravelling,
site sizes were unable to be obtained entirely.
MCS 6
MCS 1
MCS 2
MCS 3
Other Sites
The two remaining sites are of non-Burke phase classification
and are of earlier ceramic vessel styles, suggesting that the
sites were not in use during the Burke phase period
MCS 4
MCS 5
Conclusions
Circumstantial evidence suggests that the Burke
phase culture stretched across the mulberry creek
area, and that the mound sites in Patterson and the
Upper Yadkin can be connected to the culture of
the Upper Catawba river valley. Archaeology
survey work takes careful planning and concise
note-taking to succeed well.
Questions???
I’d like to thank everyone for the help with this
project, especially Dr. David G. Moore