The Myer-Dickson Phase and Late Woodland in West-Central Illinois

The Myer-Dickson Phase and Late Woodland in West-Central Illinois

Michael D. ConnerIllinois State MuseumDickson Mounds Museum

Michael D. ConnerIllinois State MuseumDickson Mounds Museum

Dickson Mounds Exhibit Building ca. 1958

Current Museum

Main Myer-Dickson and Dickson Mounds Area

Excavated

Mortuary Area

Burial Distribution

Mississippian Features and Structures

Component N %

Indeterminate 242 61.3

Late Woodland 108 27.3

Mississippian 45 11.4

Total 429 100.0

Features by ComponentMain Area

Light Grit Dark Grit Both Total

Exterior Surface

N % N % N % N %

Indeterminate 1 50 1 50 2 100

Plain 1 14.3 4 57.1 2 28.6 7 100

Cordmarked or Smoothed CM

17 30.4 13 23.2 26 46.4 56 100

Total 19 29.2 17 26.2 29 44.6 65 100

Myer-Dickson VesselsSurface Treatment by Temper

Myer-Dickson Plain Rims

Vessel 67

Adams Tradition/Bauer Branch Sherds

InteriorExterior

Vessel 50

Lot 623Lot 1240

Myer-Dickson VesselLip and Upper Rim No Longer Attached

Vessel 1

Myer-Dickson Vessel

Vessel 2Vessel 5

Myer-Dickson Vessel

Vessel 66

Myer-Dickson Vessel

Vessel 67

Cross cut Exterior Interior Interior/Exterior Total

Decoration Type N % N % N % N % N %

Plain dowel 2 50 7 33.3 19 70.4 28 52.8

Cord-wrapped stick

11 52.4 6 22.2 17 32.1

Cord-impressed/plain

dowel1 100 1 1.9

Looped cord 1 4.8 1 1.9

Slit 2 50 1 4.8 2 7.4 5 9.4

V 1 4.8 1 1.9

Total 4 100 21 100 27 100 1 100 53 100

Myer-Dickson VesselsLip Decoration

Late Woodland Feature Examples

Component Count Mean Min Max

Indeterminate 215 89 1 913

Late Woodland

96 183 1 1,125

Mississippian 48 589 22 3,324

Feature Volume (l)

Component Sandstone Igneous

Indeterminate 4.2 3.9

Late Woodland 6.2 8.9

Mississippian 0.9 0.9

Rock Density (g/l)

Late Woodland Features

Late Woodland and Indeterminate Features

Late Woodland and Indeterminate Features

Late Woodland Koster Points

Steuben and Ansell Points

Late Woodland Side-Notched Points

Ceramic Component of Context

Indeterminate Late Woodland Mississippian Total

Type N % N % N % N %

Late Woodland

Ansell 3 15.8 3 5.3

Stueben 3 15.8 1 8.3 4 7.0

Koster 6 31.6 8 66.7 1 3.9 15 26.3

Klunk 1 5.3 3 25.0 1 3.9 5 8.8

Maple Mills 1 5.3 1 3.9 2 3.5

Total 14 73.7 12 100.0 3 11.5 29 50.9

Mississippian

Cahokia 3 15.8 8 30.8 11 19.3

Madison 2 10.5 15 57.7 17 29.8

Total 5 26.3 23 88.5 28 49.1

Total 19 100.0 12 100.0 26 100.0 57 100.0

Projectile Points

Adams Tradition/Bauer Branch Sherds

InteriorExterior

Vessel 50

Lot 623Lot 1240

Late Woodland Dates

Rench and Myer-Dickson Calibrated Radiocarbon Dates

Rench Plain

Rench Plain

Area Shaded ReliefMyer-Dickson

Bauer Branch and Myer-Dickson Calibrated Radiocarbon Dates

Maples Mills and Myer-Dickson Calibrated Radiocarbon Dates

Area Shaded ReliefMyer-Dickson

Sny Bottom Late Woodland and Myer-Dickson Calibrated Radiocarbon Dates

Fall Creek Cordmarked

Cross cut Exterior Interior Other Total

Type N % N % N % N % N %

Cord-wrapped stick

13 15.7 59 40.1 34 35.8 10 37.0 116 33.0

Jointed grass stem

20 24.1 44 29.9 19 20.0 3 11.1 86 24.4

Plain dowel 46 55.4 35 23.8 34 35.8 4 14.8 119 33.8

Other 4 4.8 9 6.1 8 8.4 10 37.0 31 8.8

Total 83 100.0 147 100.0 95 100.0 27 100.0 352 100.0

Fall Creek Cordmarked

Punctated and Cord

Impressed