Smith, Edward E. (Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University)
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SWAN'S LANDING SITE (12 HR 504),
HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA
The Swan's Landing site (12 Hr 304) is a deeply buried, stratified series of Early
Archaic period components on the caving bank of the Ohio River in southwestern
Harrison County, Indiana. The site has been severely damaged by river erosion
and vandalism. Archaeological investigations were conducted to assess the site's
eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The investigations
were conducted during July and August 1986 by the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of
Archaeology, Indiana University. Funds were provided by the Indiana Department
of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, from
Survey and Planning funds.
Testing employed machine assisted hand excavation and the mechanical extraction
of a series of solid earth cores to determine the vertical and horizontal extent
of the Early Archaic deposits and the geological structure of the site. Approximately
15 cubic meters of the cultural deposits were excavated during the 1986 field
season. These investigations revealed three distinct occupation zones contained
within one meter of sediments. These zones are buried beneath 5 to 5 meters of
sterile Holocene overbank alluvium. A penecontemporary living surface was encountered
on adjoining site, 12 Hr 91.
The projectile points recovered from stratified context are exclusively variants
of Kirk Corner Notched (Small Variety). Other tool classes present at the site
include preforms, blades, drills, endscrapers, sidescrapers, hammerstones, and
various expedient tools. The artifacts are almost exclusively manufactured from
Wyandotte chert derived from nearby exposures. Debris from artifact manufacture
is abundant at the locale.
Features are composed of shallow hearths or pits exhibiting little evidence of
extensive preparation; evidence of surface fires is common at the site. Three
radiocarbon samples were submitted which returned dates that are either too old
or too young to accurately date an early Kirk period assemblage: some form of
sample contamination is suspected.
The deeply buried deposits at Swan's Landing have close strati- graphic and typological
affinities with zones that produced small Kirk points at a number of other stratified
sites in eastern North America.
The Swan's Landing Archaeological site is one of the most
significant Early Archaic sites in eastern North America. It contains
in deep deposits sealed by alluvium virtually the entire lithic assemblage
of the early Kirk period; several episodes of industrial activities are
represented. Unlike other major Early Archaic sites in the East, Swan's
Landing appears to be a functionally specific site type rather than a
base camp. On the basis of these investigations, a National Register nomination form has been prepared and
submitted.
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