Dissertation Research: The Domestic Use of Mound Sites: Implications for Inequality in Hopewell Households

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Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Hantman, MS Adrienne Lazazzera will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. For the past year MS Lazazzera has conducted archaeological excavation at the site of Fort Ancient, and with NSF support she will obtain radiocarbon dates and contract for the analysis of botanical remains. She will also study comparative materials from other Hopewell sites. Fort Ancient is a Middle Woodland hilltop earthwork which dates from ca. 200 BC to 400 AD and is situated on the bluffs above the Little Miami River in Ohio. Over 3 miles of earthen walls enclose approximately 100 acres. Although it was built over several hundred years, Fort Ancient is properly considered monumental architecture since its construction necessitated extensive leveling of the hilltop itself and extending portions of the plateau to accommodate the site's architectural plan. Based on work at other Hopewell sites, most archaeologists believe that they served primarily ritual functions since large burial mounds and elaborate grave items are often present. While work at Fort Ancient has uncovered a large ossuary burial as well as stone covered graves and indications of other ritual activities, the researchers have also discovered solid evidence for occupation of the interior of the earthwork by domestic family groups. This finding is extremely unexpected and thus makes the site of great archaeological interest. Although the excavation of the site will, hopefully, be completed in the summer of 1996 and many of the materials have been analyzed, it is still necessary to obtain absolute dates for different features within the site and to analyze the botanical remains. These latter permit reconstruction of both environment and diet and provide insight into the seasons of occupation The Hopewell culture has proven an enigma to archaeologists. It marks an early stage in the development of complex society in North America and it is unclear, even with many sites excavated, how this prehistoric society was structured. Extensive earthworks such as Fort Ancient and associated elaborate burials with precious trade goods suggest the presence of a stratified society with chiefs or elites which could command and control labor. However excavation of habitation sites has not provided evidence of such stratification since domestic units have the same range of material present. Until the recent Fort Ancient research, archaeologists had believed that large earthwork/mound sites were not the focus for habitation and that they served special purpose and ritual functions only. The discovery of supposed habitation sites at Fort Ancient now substantially changes this picture. If habitations were present this suggests that a stratified society model is correct. MS Lazazzera's work with help to solve this question. This research is important for several reasons. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and shed new light on an important but poorly understood period of American prehistory. It will increase understanding of how complex societies develop and assist in training a promising young scientist.