Justice, Noel D. (Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University)
BESANT: NORTHERN PLAINS PROJECTILE POINT STYLES AT THE MANN SITE
The Besant projectile point type has been identified at the Mann sites. This site
is a large Middle Woodland trade and ceremonial center located in southwestern
Indiana. Although Besant points are typically corner notched or expanded stemmed
; form, they are pressure flaked and made from Knife River flint. The Besant type
is diagnostic of a Plains bison hunting culture. Besant kill sites and hunting
camps are distributed across the northern Plains, from the Missouri River to the
Rocky Mountains, including the southern prairie provinces of Canada. Besant is
contemporary with Hopewell occupations in the Midwest. Besant peoples constructed
mounds, buried their dead in bundles, and commonly placed bison offerings within
mounds (e.g. Sonota). Besant cultures have been thought responsible for the trade
of Knife River flint, possibly obsidian, and other items that are found on sites
of the Hopewell cultures. The occurrence of actual Besant type projectile points
at Mann site (Figure 8) is the first direct
evidence that Besant peoples did provide exotic materials of western origin, and
actual Besant traders probably traveled to Hopewell sites in the Midwest. [return to 1988 abstracts menu][continue to next]