Cahokia's influence in the Yazoo Basin: a ceramic analysis of Early Mississippian features at the Carson site

ABSTRACT

Ceramic assemblages from pithouses at the Carson site in Mississippi show distinctly nonlocal trends that indicate Cahokian influence in the region. This study evaluates pottery collections from multiple locations with a focus on vessel shapes, slips, and nonlocal types. A minimum number of vessels was established for two contexts at Carson, and those vessels were analyzed based on manufacturing processes and stylistic modifications. Through a comparison of Carson pottery with assemblages from Cahokian neighborhoods, there is clear overlap between the decorative and functional practices in both collections. Factors such as the use of slips, vessel assemblage compositions, and quantitative measures highlight the Cahokian origins of the assemblages at Carson. In investigating Cahokian use of the wider North American landscape, Trempealeau in Wisconsin provides a point of comparison to understand the settlement at Carson and its deviation from local norms. In placing Cahokia in a wider context of interregional interactions, it is clear that landscapes and regions outside of the American Bottom such as that at Carson played a role in Cahokia's rise early in its history.

KEYWORDS:

• Mississippian
• Carson
• Yazoo Basin
• Cahokia
• Trempealeau
• ceramics

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my adviser, Dr. Tim Pauketat, for his patience and guidance during this project. Conversations with him about religion at Cahokia have thoroughly shaped the conclusions I draw here. The radiocarbon dating of the seed fragment in Structure 70 was also done by the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. Many thanks to Dr. Jayur Madhusudan Mehta for lending me the artifacts used in this analysis and for his immense help in logistical endeavors related to Carson, connecting me to both a great site and people, and answering my many questions. Finally, I am truly grateful for the years of hard work that John Connaway has poured into Carson, the opportunity to use his excavated materials, and his willingness to provide extra information, figures, and excavation data to make this paper better. This work is dedicated to the memory of my best writing companion, Moose.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article. The artifacts used for this study are on temporary loan from Florida State University and The Archaeological Conservancy.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Caitlyn Burkes Antoniuk

Caitlyn Burkes Antoniuk is a doctoral student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on religious and ritual expression in the Mississippian world with a focus on the landscapes of the Southeast and Midwest.