Plaquemine Archaeology

3. Extraregional Contact and Cultural Interaction at the Coles Creek–Plaquemine Transition: Recent Data from the Lake Providence Mounds, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana

3 Extraregional Contact and Cultural Interaction at the Coles Creek– Plaquemine Transition Recent Data from the Lake Providence Mounds, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana Douglas C. Wells and Richard A. Weinstein The Lake Providence Mounds site (16EC6) is located in the upper Tensas Basin, 4.5 miles north of the town of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana (Figure 3.1). What remains of the site lies beneath and immediately adjacent to the west side of the modern Mississippi River levee (known in the area as the Wilson Point New Levee) that was constructed through the region in the 1930s. Unfortunately, extensive levee borrow pits removed most of the site’s occupation area to the east of the levee, and the levee itself buried or destroyed two of the mounds. Prior to levee construction, the site consisted of at least ¤ve mounds grouped around a central plaza, a man-made ridge located at the south edge of the plaza, and buried aboriginal midden deposits covering an area of about 116,280 m2 (28 acres) (Figure 3.2). In the 1990s, the Vicksburg District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, decided that additional levee construction in the area of the mounds needed to take place to prevent water seepage under the levee. Accordingly, the site was tested in 1996 and later subjected to data-recovery excavations in 1998–1999 by personnel from Coastal Environments, Inc. (Weinstein 2005). Three test units, a series of six “well units,” and two block excavations were the main means by which the site was examined (see Figure 3.2). Two of the test units were located in Mounds D and E and produced excellent views of mound construction. The unit placed atop Mound D showed that the mound consisted of at least three different construction stages, with the lowest stage presenting some of the best-preserved basket loading ever seen by the investigators (Figure 3.3). In fact, it appears that the basket loads actually consist of Figure 3.1. Location of the Lake Providence Mounds. Note the modern mainline Mississippi River levee running through the site (after Weinstein 2005:Figure 1-2). Figure 3.2. Contour map of the Lake Providence Mounds, showing the four extant mounds and the Corps’ right-of-way (ROW) during the 1998–1999 data-recovery program. Note that Mound B was partially buried by the 1930s levee, while Mound C either was completely buried or entirely removed by the same levee construction. The relict channel situated immediately to the south probably was the source of the alluvium that buried much of the site. TU, Test unit; WU, well unit (modi¤ed from Weinstein 2005:Figure 5-32). “sod blocks” (Van Nest et al. 2001) that had been acquired from a grassy area near the site and then deposited upside down, causing the old A horizon to appear at the base of each block. The unit in Mound E uncovered the remains of a mound-top midden deposit that was ¤lled with hundreds of artifacts, including a unique assemblage of aboriginal ceramics that will be discussed in more detail shortly. The block excavations examined areas southeast of Mound D and northFigure 3.3. Pro¤les of north and east walls of TU N80W79 showing the three construction stages (Stratum 3, Strata 6 through 8, and Stratum 9, respectively) revealed during excavation. Note that the lowest construction stage (Stratum 9) consists of well-de¤ned sod blocks that are believed to represent the northwestern end of a manmade ridge upon which the mound was constructed (modi¤ed from Weinstein 2005:Figure 5-37). recent data from the lake providence mounds 41 west of Mound B. Block 1 uncovered evidence of a low ridge that contained numerous wall trenches and postholes indicative of at least three building episodes that included extensive walls and small, square structures of unknown function (Figure 3.4). The ridge, in fact, likely extended to the northwest and actually formed the initial construction stage recognized in the test unit in Mound D. Block 2 revealed a sequence of midden layers separated by thin ®ood deposits and a large trash pit that contained organically rich layers of redeposited trash, including ash, charcoal, ¤red clay, and a wealth of artifactual , faunal, and botanical refuse. A variety of faunal remains were recorded , including squirrel, deer, turtle, ¤sh, waterfowl, opossum, and raccoon. Surprisingly, tree squirrels were dominant in terms of numbers of...