A FRESH LOOK AT A LITTLE-KNOWN SOUTHEASTERN COPPER PLATE

Abstract

Chauga (38OC47) is a mound site now under Lake Hartwell at the head of the Savannah River in Oconee County, South Carolina. Excavations in 1958–1959 by the University of Georgia recovered a Mississippian copper plate. Upon comparison to others of its kind, it is clear that this lesser-known plate encompasses some interesting design features, most notably the presence of the only known depiction of a chunkey stone on copper. We have recently created a more accurate representation of its design. The plate appears to portray many similarities to depictions of Birdman dancers: kilted dancers and dancing elders within the “Stack” style. Birdman themes are common in Mississippian iconography. Given the importance that copper plates have for interpreting Mississippian art and belief systems, this updated examination provides useful new information for researchers studying Mississippian iconography.

Keywords:

• Mississippian
• iconography
• reflectance transformation imaging (RTI)
• Southeastern Ceremonial Complex and Mississippian Ideological Interaction Spheres
• Birdman

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Notes on contributors

Amanda D. Roberts Thompson

Correspondence to: Amanda D. Roberts Thompson, Laboratory of Archaeology, University of Georgia, 110 Riverbend Rd., Athens, GA 30602, USA. E-mail: [email protected].