Glazed Over: Middle Mississippian Ceramics Found at the Cummings Site
Disciplines
Anthropology | Archaeological Anthropology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
The Cummings Site is an archaeological site comprised of a large Native American village dating to the Middle Mississippian period (1200-1375 CE). It is located two miles (3.2 kilometers) from the Etowah Indian Mounds, a prominent regional center of the time, in Bartow County, GA. The Cummings Site includes House 1, one of the few Middle Mississippian houses to be fully excavated. Due to the rarity of excavated houses, it provides the opportunity to study ceramics inside and outside of houses. During this time period, ceramics were commonly used for food preparation, storage, and rituals. Recent excavations at the Cummings Site have produced hundreds of ceramic sherds outside of House 1, and this research examines the ceramic assemblage of 17 units from 2022 and the spring of 2023. A comparative analysis of ceramics found outside of House 1 to those found on the floor of the house provides insight to the activities and purposes of ceramic vessels at the Cummings Site.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Geography & Anthropology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Terry Powis
Glazed Over: Middle Mississippian Ceramics Found at the Cummings Site
The Cummings Site is an archaeological site comprised of a large Native American village dating to the Middle Mississippian period (1200-1375 CE). It is located two miles (3.2 kilometers) from the Etowah Indian Mounds, a prominent regional center of the time, in Bartow County, GA. The Cummings Site includes House 1, one of the few Middle Mississippian houses to be fully excavated. Due to the rarity of excavated houses, it provides the opportunity to study ceramics inside and outside of houses. During this time period, ceramics were commonly used for food preparation, storage, and rituals. Recent excavations at the Cummings Site have produced hundreds of ceramic sherds outside of House 1, and this research examines the ceramic assemblage of 17 units from 2022 and the spring of 2023. A comparative analysis of ceramics found outside of House 1 to those found on the floor of the house provides insight to the activities and purposes of ceramic vessels at the Cummings Site.