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The Normandy Archaeological Project was a rescue excavation designed to preserve the archaeological history of the area before it became submerged by the construction of the Normandy Reservoir Dam through funding from the
Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
. After the construction of the dam, historic information about that area could not be accessed, so prior to the construction of the dam, as much research as possible had to be done on the area. This salvage effort was conducted in the Duck River Valley area, of
middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
from March 1971 until the summer of 1975, prior to the completion of the dam in 1976. The fieldwork was done mainly by researchers from the
University of Tennessee, Knoxville The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
, under contract to the Tennessee Valley Authority Contract and National Park. The dam creating the Normandy Reservoir was built on the Duck River at mile marker 248.6 in
Coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
and
Bedford County, Tennessee Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,237. Its county seat is Shelbyville. Bedford County comprises the Shelbyville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also ...
, named after the town of Normandy, Tennessee. The two nearest cities are
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and Tullahoma. Large excavation projects need time for full evaluation of the project area in order to determine the relationship of the findings and obtain usable information through focusing on the hypothesis. In this way a wide view of the area and the time space within it was obtained. This large project also allowed a rare opportunity for young archaeologists to receive field training on a site soon to become forever inaccessible. The fieldwork on the Normandy project began with an investigation of surface collections to ascertain the intensity of prehistoric occupation in this portion of the valley. The sites were then mapped, with assistance from local collectors and the Coffee-Franklin County Chapter of the Tennessee Archaeological Society. Eighty three archaeological sites were found in the general project area twenty eight of which were determined to be out of the range of the maximum pool stage of the
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
although still in danger of damage from development. Sixty-nine of the sites had previously been discovered prior to the excavations in the reservoir. Thirty of these sites were found by members of the Coffee-Franklin County Chapter of the Tennessee Archaeological Society. Although previous sites had been surveyed, the surrounding uplands were most often not included. Those typological areas are included in this project in an attempt to gain a better analysis of the patterns of culture and history of the ancient peoples of the Duck Valley.


History


Prehistoric environment

The Upper Duck Valley lies between the
Highland Rim The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. Nashville is largely surrounded by higher terrain in all directions. Geologically, the Central Basin is a dome. The Highland Rim is a cuesta surround ...
and the Nashville Basin in
central Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the s ...
. The valley floor of the area lies in the basin while the rim of the valley is the highland. The Normandy Reservoir was to be built over these landscape formations. Each of these two areas were segmented into four different environmental zones; The floodplain, older alluvial terrace, valley slopes and bluffs, and uplands. Previous studies and information indicated large prehistoric sites were present in this area. The
subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...
of the area is characterized by hot summers and mild winters with the most
rainfall Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water ...
occurring during the winter and spring, creating heavy stream flow in the Duck River from November to May. The project area has four bio geographic zones: Flood Plain Zone, Older Alluvial Terrace Zone, Valley Slopes and Bluff Zone, and the Upland Zone.(Introductory Report of the Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project, Volume 1, Department of Anthropology, 1973,p11-34) Each zone has varying
vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic charact ...
and flood patterns. Since prehistoric settlement in the area was determined, in part, by the availability of natural resources it was assumed that by examining the sites and materials found in each zone one could determine habitation and subsistence patterns in the Duck Valley area for the native inhabitants. Major occupations were found spanning the period from the Late Archaic, through the
Mississippian Mississippian may refer to: * Mississippian (geology), a subperiod of the Carboniferous period in the geologic timescale, roughly 360 to 325 million years ago *Mississippian culture, a culture of Native American mound-builders from 900 to 1500 AD ...
periods.(Excavations and Testing, Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project,1974, p580) Many of the earlier sites, dating to the late
Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the '' Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed ...
/early
Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togeth ...
, were covered by later occupations. During the Middle Archaic period (c. 4000-6000 BC), larger sites appeared, with locations again guided by environmental factors, as was the case throughout prehistory.


Agriculture and resources


Lithic resources

Lithics found in the greatest abundance in the Duck Valley included:
cryptocrystalline Cryptocrystalline is a rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert and flint are crypto ...
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...
, blue-grey and tan
chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a ...
, gray banded chert, fossiliferous chert,
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
,
shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especia ...
, mudstone,
siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, ...
, and
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
. Large quantities of chert artifacts were found indicating the importance of chert as a resource for tool making. Some lithic resources found in the reservoir are thought to have been derived locally, although there were also exotic materials present. These were most likely obtained through trade with peoples in the surrounding region. Some of the exotic materials included: cryptocrystalline quartz, blue-green nodular chert, Dover chert, novaculite,
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical ...
, vein quartz,
chalcedony Chalcedony ( , or ) is a cryptocrystalline form of silica, composed of very fine intergrowths of quartz and moganite. These are both silica minerals, but they differ in that quartz has a trigonal crystal structure, while moganite is monocl ...
, Horse Mountain
agate Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in ...
,
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
,
hematite Hematite (), also spelled as haematite, is a common iron oxide compound with the formula, Fe2O3 and is widely found in rocks and soils. Hematite crystals belong to the rhombohedral lattice system which is designated the alpha polymorph of ...
,
steatite Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc- schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in ...
,
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
, green slate, banded slate and
igneous rock Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or l ...
. These materials are, in some cases long distances from their source. Some came from as far away as the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...
. This suggests that the groups of the upper Duck Valley were not secluded, but were instead active participants in established trade with other distant groups. The amount of lithic material suggests repeated use of the area over time, and was most frequently used during the Early Archaic and Late Archaic/Early Woodland periods. Escalation of increased contact with other groups throughout the Mid-South is suggested by the occurrence of
steatite Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc- schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in ...
and Dover chert at the Banks I and Banks II sites indicating inter-regional trade in the Upper Duck Valley by 1000 BC. The project was reported in a number of volumes written by Dr. Charles Faulkner and Major C.R. McCollough, the project directors.


Faunal resources

The prehistoric Indians of the Duck Valley region could have utilized the rich faunal resources available. There are at least three hundred and three
vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxon, taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () (chordates with vertebral column, backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the ...
s, excluding
fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...
, which were available.
Mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000  extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...
species, many still present in the Duck River today, could have also been integrated into their subsistence system. One hundred seven species of fish were available in the Duck River.
Turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...
s,
alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis'' ...
s,
turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, owls,
quail Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
,
waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...
,
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...
,
raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight o ...
,
gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...
, red fox,
mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera '' Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": ...
,
muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habita ...
,
woodchuck The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through m ...
, squirrel,
opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered Nort ...
,
eastern cottontail The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shru ...
, and otter are some of the primary animal species available. Some large mammals that were without doubt utilized by these populations included elk,
mountain lion The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. ...
, black bear,
gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...
,
white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
, and
bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North ...
. The white-tail remained as the most commonly used source of meat and very constant in the diet of the Duck River Valley inhabitants.


Floral resources

The Duck Valley is a transitional zone between the Western and Mixed Mesophytic forests of the highland rim and Nashville Basin. The inhabitants of this area would have had ample
natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. ...
s at their disposal. The
plant Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...
resources available in this region are closely tied to soil
topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary s ...
and
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologica ...
. The types of plant resources dominant in the Nashville Basin are as follows:


Zones


Archaeological sites in the Flood Plain Zone

Along the river, waterfowl, birds, fish, turtles,
aquatic mammal Aquatic and semiaquatic mammals are a diverse group of mammals that dwell partly or entirely in bodies of water. They include the various marine mammals who dwell in oceans, as well as various freshwater species, such as the European otter. T ...
s and mollusk could all be utilized. Spring, early summer, late summer, and early fall would have been the most productive time for exploiting the resources of this region. Although resources may have been sparse in the winter months food would have still been available because of the variety of
wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted f ...
in this zone. Five sites have been recorded in this zone Although
artifact Artifact, or artefact, may refer to: Science and technology * Artifact (error), misleading or confusing alteration in data or observation, commonly in experimental science, resulting from flaws in technique or equipment ** Compression artifact, a ...
s were found in this zone no well defined early assemblages were recovered. The rich
biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity' ...
, fertile soil and available lithic resources made this area perhaps the most attractive zone to prehistoric inhabitants.


Archaeological sites in the Older Alluvial Terrace Zone

The large number of sites (n-64) found at the older alluvial terrace is due to the topography of the area, since there were not many animal resources available in this zone. In the closed canopy the only mammal that would find this zone attractive would be the raccoon. Spring would be the most productive time for this zone.


Archaeological sites in the Valley Slopes and Bluff Zone

Spring, late summer, early summer, and fall would be the time of maximum
productivity Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proce ...
in this area. Only two sites documented in these zones.


Archaeological sites in the Upland Zone

Late summer, early fall and fall would be a productive time for this region. Fourteen sites were found at this zone. *Later discovered sites: Shelton Quarry 40BD80, Eoff IV 40CF119


Archaeology


Survey of the Normandy Reservoir

The
fieldwork Field research, field studies, or fieldwork is the collection of raw data outside a laboratory, library, or workplace setting. The approaches and methods used in field research vary across disciplines. For example, biologists who conduct f ...
in Normandy project began with an investigation of surface collections to ascertain the intensity of prehistoric occupation in this portion of the valley. The excavation was to take place between the years of 1971 to 1976. Each season would provide segmenting markers for the excavation. A volume of work was published following each complete seasonal cycle including some additional publications. The area of the Normandy project was naturally divided into two areas. The Upper Rim and the Nashville Basin, both of which were divided again for the purpose of the project, into four areas: the floodplain zone, older alluvial terrace, valley slopes, and uplands. The dam's scheduled construction was to begin in 1976. Under this time constraint for such a large project, the project had to proceed efficiently. This is the planned and executed layout of the excavations that went underway including the most noted or distinguished sites. The course of action was to follow these steps: * Assess the reservoir and obtain assistance from the Coffee County Chapter of the Tennessee Archaeological Society. * Investigate and experiment the area under planned inundation. * Using the collected data to submit a proposal to request for funding from the
Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
and
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government within the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of ...
. * Publish the first tome which would including a description of the natural area of the reservoir, a description of the system of type classification, and a description of the primary inspection of the reservoir. *Devise a blueprint to mapping out the excavation and testing methods in efforts to answer the question of, what were the cultural, agricultural, cultivation, and population development patterns of the Duck River Valley inhabitants. * Continue to print a tome in correspondence with each passing investigation season spent in the basin.


Excavation sites of interest

Phase I: 1971-1972 During this time, one-hundred and sixty eight sites were discovered with a total of two-hundred and forty five identifiable components. It is possible for a single site to have more than one component. The cultural phases associated with the components were determined by identifying the projectile points and ceramics associated with the component. These components are uncovered in phase I mainly by removal of the plow zone in search of features that may require further excavation. The component's phases identified as following: six Paleo-Indian/Clovis, ten Transitional Paleo-Archaic/Dalton/Big Sandy, seventeen Middle Archaic, twenty four Terminal Archaic/Wade, six Early Woodland/ Watts Bar/ Long Branch, forty Middle Woodland, sixteen late Woodland, ten Woodland, four Mississippian, and four late-eighteenth-to-nineteenth-century Euro-American sites. *''Barton'': Testing was done on a Cartesian grid with 5x5 units. This was done in order to gather a more comprehensive report on stratigraphy and concentration of features on the phase I sites. An encountered midden was excavated in .5-foot levels until the subsoil was contacted. *''Banks III'': A widespread midden was recovered and further excavated through block stripping and the removal of the plow zone. Following this and the mechanical removal of the plow zone, the site was intensively excavated by hand. Middle Woodland Owl Hollow –phase summer and winter houses were recovered. *''Eoff I'': A Woodland midden was discovered on this site as well with recommendations of further block excavation. *''Eoff III'': In the Floodplain zone, this was the only intensively occupied site. There were a quantity of Middle Archaic projectile points. *''Hicks Site'': Elements of the Late Archaic Ledbetter phase were recovered and recommended for further study. *''Nowlin II'': There was evidence of the Terminal Archaic Wade at this site which included a burial and several features. *''Banks V'': An Extensive and preserved midden was recovered and removed through controlled surface collection and plow zone removal. This was done using a smooth-bladed Tournapull pan to create a cruciform pattern of trenches to remove the plow zone. *''Rhoton Cave'': After removal of surface rock fall, excavation revealed an excellently preserved stratification of Woodland components with tremendous faunal preservation. Phase II: 1972-1973 This phase began in 1973 following the phase II, tested four large sites; Riddle, Boyd II, Wiser-Stephens, and Anthony II.. During this phase two sites with indication of heavy occupation were recovered. *''Jernigan II'': This site was very large, covering 2 acres, it was separated into seven areas for testing and controlled surface collection before excavation could commence. Frequent Ledbetter phase features, occasional midden deposits and atypical shaft-and-chamber burial dated to the Mason –phase, and characterized this large site. *''Body II'': A site with evidence of significant occupation and one of the largest in the upper reservoir zone with recommendation for further excavation. Wiser-Stephens: Dating reveals this site to be associated with the Late Archaic period and Late Woodland period with greater occupation during the Late Woodland. *''Ewell III'': An upper reservoir site which also happened to be one of the largest. Phase III: 1973-1974 In the following spring, summer and fall of 1973, phase III progressed. *''Hicks I'': A 5x70 foot trench was dug through the archaic midden. Four levels were excavated and found to contain Ledbetter-phase basin hearths. *''Eoff I'': This site was split into two areas. On the north side was area A which was excavated with a large block. This revealed a Neal-phase occupation. A trench with a depth of two feet below the plow zone was placed through a stratified earth midden includes mostly Mason-phase components. Area B contained a 5x90 foot trench that was later converted into 20 10x10 foot unit blocks. Ledbetter, Wade, and McFarland phases were represented amongst the seventeen features that were recovered within this site. An unusually large and intensively deep stratified conical pit was recovered, but so massive that the entirety of its expansion could not be determined. The artifacts connected with it suggested it was an ancient spring that had been packed in. *''Eoff III'': This site on the floodplain lies adjacent to Eoff I site. Middle Archaic components radiocarbon dating to 4575 BC +\- 165 were found here making it the earliest site surveyed in the reservoir although no proof of human inhabitation was recovered beneath the plow zone. *''Banks V'': Evidence of human occupation was implied by an Owl Howl winter house discovered. Total removal of the plow zone revealed many other features, most of which were in relation to this winter house. This site received the dedication of an entire volume from the Normandy collection. Ceramic analysis implies close association of this site with the Langston culture of northern Alabama. *''Nowlin II'': The Wright State University field school excavated this site under the direction of Bennie C. Keel *''Ewell III'': This site underwent further investigation, which involved stripping the alluvial terrace. This revealed Wade, McFarland, and Mason phase community patterns. *''Jernigan II'':Being the largest site in the lower reservoir zone on the right bank, it was stripped with a backhoe. Although this revealed no deposits before the Late Archaic. The last two years: 1975-1976 Focus was shifted during these last two years. This time would be spent on intensive excavation of the four sites with the most significant elements. This was done to maintain most focus on the initial hypotheses which asked the question; What was the relationship between environment and culture during the late Archaic and Mississippian periods, or the past 4000 yrs? *''Nowlin II'': Excavation on this site in the lower reservoir was done by the Wright State University field school and continued through June and July 1974. *''Ewell III'': Patterns indicating Wade, McFarland, and Mason phase inhabitance patterns were discovered in the alluvial terrace of the Ewell site. *''Jernigan II'': This site, the largest on the right bank of the lower reservoir, revealed no in situ deposits earlier than Late Archaic.on the right bank of the Duck River, was the most intensely occupied site in the lower reservoir. Within test Stratum 1 a Late Woodland Mason phase shaft-and-chamber grave was found containing the remains of a sixteen- to nineteen-year-old female year old. Radiocarbon dated to AD 770 plus or minus 85 years, this is the earliest occurrence of this grave type in the
southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern po ...
. The well preserved remains of an infant were also found on this site. *''Eoff I'': In 1975 excavation intensified in this area.


Interpretations


Cultural phases

The following categorizations are the result of radiocarbon dates in association with the cultural components to draw an image of the passing cultural phases. This data was derived from a sample pool consisting of eighty two radiocarbon dates and seven archaeomagnetic dates. By combining these factors, cultural phases can be placed into the proper archaeological time periods. The following is an interpretation of the cultural phases within their associated time periods. By classifying artifacts, a picture of what cultures occupied the Basin during what times can be understood. In addition, a view of when the basin remained uninhabited can also be drawn. Identifying cultural time periods and phases, along with determining patterns of occupation, can also be very beneficial when determining the amount of contact between cultural phases and groups residing simultaneously.


Conclusions

Subsistence developments The hypothesis concerning the usage of plants and animals in the culture and how that relates to settlement pattern, was focused on and tested against the materials found. The question of whether or not the patterns of hunting and gathering shifted into a more agricultural focus in coordination with the passage of time from Archaic to Mississippian. White tailed deer was the primary source of meat but other vertebrates were a constant alternative. When questioning which plants were a source of food, a variety of herbaceous annuals were utilized from the late archaic and increased onto the Middle Woodland. Maize was found in context with the Owl Hollow, while other food sources such as squash and gourd rind were also recovered. Domestication of herbaceous plants such as the chenopodium, marsh elder, and even the domestication of some of these plants was evident by the Middle Woodland period. This shift to intensive gardening seems to coincide with a shift from sparse settlements to condensed communities within the fertile floodplain of the lower reservoir zone in the Owl Hollow and Banks phases. Settlement and community patterns The past four-thousand years was the time span in question and was concentrated on most intensively to determine whether or not the individuals were living a mobile hunter gatherer lifestyle of whether they were living in a permanent villages. In the early Middle woodland period, homes were found scattered throughout both reservoir zones, but these scattered temporary settlement patterns had shifted to more permanent homes found only in the lower reservoir by the late McFarland phase. This may have been a result of the efforts toward the construction of the Old Stone Fort enclosure. Permanent homes were found only in the lower reservoir zones during the Mississippian cultures and during the Owl Hollow phases. These observed shifts in settlement are explained with a correlation to their subsistence patterns, patterns of gardening herbaceous annuals, and some maize farming done by the Owl Hollow people. An alternative way of determining whether a home is temporary or permanent is to observe the frequency of food preparation and storage facilities. In the Archaic phase the only site with evidence of this time period is the Eoff III. The completeness of the components found here indicates the reduced frequency of use of this area as a temporary seasonal dwelling as the community shifted towards a less mobile lifestyle. In the Ledbetter phase, more storage pits, burials, and postholes are observed. Continuing in to the wade phase a greater degree of permanency is indicated by homes with walls and roofs. More exotic materials such as dover chert and steatite are seen in this phase which indicated a greater degree of complexity in trade and communication. Major occupations were found in the area spanning from the Late Archaic period, through the Mississippian periods. "From archaeological observation, there is no verification of late or protohistoric Mississippian occupation of the Reservoir area". Initial Native American populations were mobile hunter-gatherers living in small groups. Many of the earlier sites, dating to the late Pleistocene/early Holocene, were covered by later occupations. During the Middle Archaic period (c. 4000-6000 BC), larger sites appeared, with locations again guided by environmental factors, as was the case throughout prehistory. Ceramics appeared after 1000 BC. during the Woodland period. Cultural continuation is evident between the Early Woodland Long Branch and Middle Woodland McFarland Phases. The latter phase of which seems to relate with the Copena culture of Northern Alabama. Connections to Scioto and Havana Hopewell in Ohio and Illinois and southern Hopewellian sites, like Tunacunnhee, are indicated by foreign grave goods, extravagant burial practices, and earthworks. With c. AD 200 comes the appearance of the Owl Hollow culture. There is little to no connection between the Owl culture and the Mason phase. Although some Mason culture traits, such as net impressed pottery and shaft-and-chamber graves are found in Late Woodland Cultures. Sites from the Woodland period remain small, little can be determined from this period. Only Jernigan II shows evidence of extended seasonal occupation even though occupation decreased on the Duck River during this time. Within the Upper Duck Valley, the Middle Woodland periods exhibits proof of having the densest population which consisted of 25-30 individuals, or three extended households. The upper duck river valleys continued to undergo testing to ascertain the subsistence and settlement patterns of the Middle Woodland phase.


Surrounding sites

Not far from Lake Normandy lies the Old Stone Fort Archaeological state park, a 2000 yr old Indian ceremonial site. Built by the people of the Middle Woodland culture, the walls and mounds that were once believed to be a fort are now thought to be a 50-acre enclosure making a ceremonial site and gathering place. The park is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
.http://www.lakelubbers.com › USA › South › Tennessee › Middle


Scientific publications

*BACON, WILLARD S. **1982 Structural Data Recovered from the Banks I11 Site (40CF108) and the Parks Site (40CFSB), Normandy Reservoir, Coffee County, Tennessee. Tennessee Anthropologist 712):176-197. *BROWN, TRACY C. **1982 Prehistoric Mortuary Patterning and Change in the Normandy Reservoir, Coffee County, Tennessee. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *CHAPMAN, LLOYD N. **1978 The Mississippian Component at the Eoff 1 Site. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1982 The Mississippian Component at the Eoff I Site. In Eighth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 1–148. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 33 and TVA Publications in Anthropology No. 30. Knoxville. *COBB, JAMES E. **1978 The Middle Woodland Occupations of the Banks V Site, 40CFlll. In Fifth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 72–327. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 20. Knoxville. **1982 The Late Middle Woodland Occupation of the Eoff 1 Site, 40CF32. In Eighth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited By Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 149–301. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology. Report of Investigations No. 33 and N A Publications in Anthropology No.30. Knoxville. **1985 Late Middle Woodland Settlement and Subsistence Patterns on the Eastern Highland Rim of Middle Tennessee. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *COBB, JAMES E., and CHARLES H. FAULKNER. **1978 The Owl Hollow Project: Middle Woodland and Subsistence Patterns in the Eastern Highland Rim of Tennessee. Final report submitted to the National Science Foundation in accordance with the requirements of Grant BNS 76-11266. * *CRITES, GARY D. **1978 Paleotnobotany of the Normandy Reservoir in the Upper Duck River Valley, Tennessee. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *DAVIS, R. P. STEPHEN, JR. **1976 The Wiser-Stephens Site-4OCF81. MA. thesis, Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. **1978 Excavations at the Wiser-Stephens 1 Site. In Sixth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Major C. R. McCollough and Charles H. Faulkner, pp. 291–547. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 21, Wright State University/Laboratory of Anthropology/Notes in Anthropology No. 4, N A Publications in Anthropology No. 19. Chattanooga. *DUGGAN, BETTY J. **1982 A Synthesis of the Late Woodland Mason Phase in the Normandy and Tims Ford Reservoirs in Middle Tennessee. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *DUVALL, GLYN D. **1977 The Ewell Ill Site (40CF118): An Early Middle Woodland McFatland Phase Site in the Normandy Reservoir, Coffee County, Tennessee. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1982 The Ewell III Site (40CF1181. In Seventh Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 8–151. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 32, TVA Publications in Anthropology No. 29. *FAULKNER, CHARLES H. **1971 An Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Normandy Reservoir: Interim Report. On file in the Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1977a The Hicks Site (40CF62). In Fourth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 9–63. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 19. Knoxville. **1977b Eoff 1 Site (40CF32). In Fourth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 64–278. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations N0.19. Knoxville. **1977c Eoff 111 Site (40CF107). In Fourth Report of the Normandy Archeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 279–299. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 19. Knoxville. **1982 The Duke I Site (40CF97). In Eighth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 527–541. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 33, WA Publications in Anthropology No. 30. Knoxville. **1988 Middle Woodland Community and Settlement Patterns on the Eastern Highland Rim of Tennessee. In Middle Woodland Settlement and Ceremonialism in the Mid-South and Lower Mississippi Valley, edited by Robert C. Mainfort, Jr., pp. 76–98. Archaeological Report 22, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson. **2002 Woodland Cultures of the Elk and Duck River Valleys, Tennessee: Continuity and Change. In The Woodland Southeast, edited by David G. Anderson and Robert C. Mainfort, Jr., pp. 185–203. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa. *FAULKNER, CHARLES H., and MAJOR C. R. MCCOLLOUGH. **1973 Introductory Report of the Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project: Environmental Setting, Typology, and Survey. Normandy Archaeological Project, vol. 1. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 11. Knoxville. **1974 Excavations and Testing, Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project:1972 Seasons. Normandy Archaeological Project, vol. 2, University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 12. Knoxville. **1982a Excavation of the Jernigan II Site (40CF37). In Seventh Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Maim C. R. McCollough, pp. 153–311. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 32 and TVA Publications in Anthropology No. 2Y. Knoxville. **1982b The Investigation of the Parks Site (40CF5). In Seventh Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 313–352. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 32, and TVA Publications in Anthropology No. 29. Knoxville. *FAULKNER, CHARLES H., and MAJOR C. R. MCCOLLOUGH, EDS. **1978 Fifth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough. University of Tennessee, Department oi Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 20. Knoxville. *KEEL, BENNIE C. **1978 Excavations at the Nowlin II Site. In Sixth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Major C. R. McCollough and Charles H. Faulkner, pp. XI-290. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 21, Wright State University, Laboratory of Anthropology, Notes in Anthropology No. 4, TVA Publications in Anthropology No. 19. Chattanooga. *KLINE, GERALD W., GARY D. CRITES, and CHARLES H. FAULKNER. **1982 The McFarland Project: Early Middle Woodland Settlement and Subsistence in the Upper Duck Valley in Tennessee. Tennessee Anthropological Association, Miscellaneous Paper No. 8. Knoxville. *MCCOLLOUGH, MAJOR C. R., and GLYN D. DUVALL **1976 Results of 1973 Testing. In Third Report of the Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project, edited by Major C. R. McCollough and Charles H. Faulkner, pp. 27–139. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 16. Knoxville. *MCCOLLOUGH, MAJOR C. R.. GLYN D. DUVALL, CHARLES H. FAULKNER, and TRACY C. BROWN **1979 A Late Woodland Shaft and Chamber Grave in the Normandy Reservoir, Tennessee. Tennessee Anthropologist 4(1):175-188. *MCMAHAN, JOE DAVID **1983 Paleoethnobotany of the Late Woodland Mason Phase in the Elk and Duck River Valleys, Tennessee. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *PENNY. JAMES S., JR., and Major C. R. MCCOLLOUGH **1976 The Normandy Lithic Resource Survey. In Third Report of the Normandy Reservoir Salvage Project, edited by Major C. R. McCollough and Charles Faulkner, pp. 140–194. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 16. Knoxville. *PRESCOTT, WILLIAM D. **1978 Analysis of Surface Survey Data from the Normandy Reservoir. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology University of Tennessee, Knoxville. *ROBISON, NEIL D. **1977 Zooarchaeological Analysis of the Mississippian Faunal Remains from the Normandy Reservoir. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1978 A Zooarchaeological Analysis of the Mississippian Faunal Remains from the Normandy Reservoir. In Fifth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 498–595. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of investigations No. 10. Knoxville. **1986 An Analysis and Interpretation of the Faunal Remains from Eight Late Middle Woodland Owl Hollow Phase Sites in Coffee, Franklin and Bedford Counties. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Anthropology, University oi Tennessee, Knoxville. *SHEA, ANDREA B. **1977 Comparison of Middle Woodland and Early Mississippian Subsistence Patterns: Analysis of Plant Remains from an Archaeological Site in the Duck River Valley, Tennessee, Supplemented by the Potentially Exploitable Native Flora. MS. thesis, Department of Botany, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1978 An Analysis of Plant Remains from the Middle Woodland and Mississippian Components on the Banks V Site and a Paleoethnobotanical Study of the Native Flora of the Upper Duck Valley. In Fifth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and Major C. R. McCollough, pp. 596–699. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 20. Knoxville. *WAGNER, MARK J. **1980 The Aaron Shelton Site (40CF69): A Multicomponent Site in the Lower Normandy Reservoir. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. **1982 The Aaron Shelton Site (40CF69): A Multicomponent Site in the Lower Normandy Reservoir. In Eighth Report of the Normandy Archaeological Project, edited by Charles H. Faulkner and C. R. McCollough, pp. 389–526. University of Tennessee, Department of Anthropology, Report of Investigations No. 33, TVA Publications in Anthropology No.30. Knoxville.


See also

*
Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
*
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government within the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of ...
*
University of Tennessee, Knoxville The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...
*
Duck River (Tennessee) The Duck River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 8, 2011 is the longest river located entirely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. Free flowing for most of i ...
*
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
* Bedford County *
List of dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River The Tennessee Valley Authority operates the Tennessee River system to provide a wide range of public benefits: year-round navigation, flood damage reduction, affordable electricity, improved water quality and water supply, recreation, and economi ...
* List of dams and reservoirs in the United States *
Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviatio ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


Department of Anthropology ,

Tennessee Archaeology Network
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~kesmith/TNARCH/ Tennessee Archaeology Network]

http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/OldStoneFort/ ] *
Duck River (Tennessee) The Duck River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 8, 2011 is the longest river located entirely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. Free flowing for most of i ...
*
Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
* Ahlman, Todd M, Pritchard, Erin E. TVA Archaeology: Seventy-Five Years of Prehistoric Site Research:''University of Tennessee Press'', 1 May 2009 Tennessee Valley Authority University of Tennessee Woodland period Mississippian culture Archaeological projects