ABSTRACT

Archaeological investigations on sandy, well-drained terraces of the Grand River in southwestern Michigan revealed a large number of shallow surface depressions, marking the locations of former cache pits, i.e., subterranean storage features. Our paper documents these pits, one of the largest arrays of cache pits reported for the Upper Great Lakes. Excavations into 29 cache pits revealed that they had been backfilled with generally artifact-poor sands. Prior to backfilling, the cache pits had been burned, leaving behind a black, charcoal-rich, charred horizon at their base, below the fill. This type of intentional burning has not previously been reported. Intentional re-use of cache pits was rare, if it occurred at all. Subsequently, pedogenesis has formed tongue-like soil horizons below the surface depressions. Radiocarbon dates from the cache pits, along with diagnostic artifacts, place the use of these features to the Late Precontact period, particularly the mid- to late 15th century a.d.

摘要

在密歇根州西南部大河的沙质，排水良好的阶地上进行的考古调查表明，有大量浅表凹陷，标志着以前的高速缓存坑的位置，即地下储藏特征。我们的论文记录了这些矿坑，据报道是上大湖区最大的缓存坑阵列之一。挖掘到29个缓存坑中发现，它们通常被填充了普遍缺乏人造物的沙子。在回填之前，缓存坑已被烧毁，在填充物下方的底部留下了黑色的，富含木炭的，烧焦的地平线。以前没有这种类型的有意燃烧的报道。如果根本不存在有意地重用缓存坑的情况。随后，成岩作用已在地表凹陷以下形成了舌状的土壤层。广告。