Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Earth Sciences
Committee Chair
Ryan Parish
Committee Member
David Dye
Committee Member
Youngsang Kwon
Committee Member
Diana M. Greenlee
Committee Member
Philip J. Carr
Abstract
The dissertation research focuses on the analysis of chert assemblages from eight Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, and Poverty Point sites in the Lower Mississippi Valley region to investigate the temporal patterns of toolstone acquisition and use during the Archaic period. The Poverty Point site and affiliated sites, which together are known as the Poverty Point culture, are well-known for their diverse collection of non-local lithic materials. The goal of the project is to determine the location of the parent formations from which the raw materials were obtained and to investigate whether the patterns of non-local toolstone source utilization are an enigma or an heir of long-standing traditions in the deeper prehistory of the region. The chipped stone artifacts and geologic samples were analyzed using Visible/Near-Infrared and Fourier-Transform Infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The raw materials used in the comparison library were sampled from deposits stretching across the Southeast, Mid-South, and Mid-West, even at the earliest sites under investigation. Non-local and local raw materials were deposited in the archaeological record at the same stages of reduction without consideration for the distance the material had traveled.
Library Comment
Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.
Notes
Embargoed until 5/28/2026
Recommended Citation
Sherman III, Simon Paul, "CHARACTERIZING POVERTY POINT LITHIC NETWORKS DURING THE ARCHAIC PERIOD IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3545.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/etd/3545
Comments
Data is provided by the student.