Date of Award

Fall 12-9-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

The Department of Geography and Anthropology

First Advisor

Saunders, Rebecca

Second Advisor

Richardson, Miles

Third Advisor

Hays, Christopher

Abstract

Lithic artifacts are frequently abundant at many prehistoric sites in the Lower Mississippi Valley and adjacent areas of the Northern Gulf Coast despite limited resources. These assemblages are beginning to receive the attention required to make meaningful interpretation which in turn can be used as comparable data sets. An understanding of the behavior associated with the full range of the reduction process was sought during the study of the lithic materials from the Hoover site (16TA5) near Ponchatoula. Louisiana. This was achieved through observations on raw material procurement. reduction sequences. tool use. maintenance and discard. and how these tools relate to environmental exploitation. Statistical tests \\ere also applied. Results of this research suggest that the site was inhabited as early as the Archaic Stage and as late as the Coles Creek or Plauqemine Period. It was concluded that prehistoric inhabitants were participating in a full range of tool production beginning with the collection of materials in cobble form from exposures or secondary deposits of the Citronelle Formation located relatively close to the site. These materials were then reduced further to preforms and then to finished tools with heat treating occurring during several stages of this process. These tools were often worked to the point of exhaustion, and the use of expedient tools was not a common practice.

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.8255

Download

Included in

Anthropology Commons

Share

COinS