Ruby, Bret J. ((Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University,
Bloomington)
EXCAVATIONS AT THE GRABERT SITE (12 PO 248): A LATE MIDDLE
WOODLAND HABITATION SITE IN POSEY COUNTY, INDIANA
The Grabert site is a small Middle Woodland habitation site, dated to about AD
150, located near the confluence of the Wabash and Ohio Rivers in Posey County,
extreme southwestern Indiana. During the summers of 1989 and 1990, the Indiana
Historical Society, Indiana University, and the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of archaeology
provided support for intensive controlled surface collection, magnetometry, and
limited test excavations at the Grabert site.
The Grabert site is located on a high flat terrace, approximately 5 km north of
the Ohio River, and is currently under cultivation. The maximum extent of cultural
materials covers an area of approximately 1.6 ha. Controlled surface collections
made within a grid of 5 x 5 m squares reveal three relatively discrete concentrations
of debris within the overall distiibution of cultural materials at the site. The
distribution of ceramics (measured in grams per 2S m is shown in Figure
3. Similar distributions were noted for all other classes of material remains.
Excavations conducted within the central concentration of surface debris uncovered
a segment of an arc of structural postholes, along with other scattered postholes
that did not form any clear pattern (Figure
4). Excavations also uncovered four pit features distributed to the north
and east of the structural postholes. Two of these features (Feature I and Feature
3) were the remains of shallow, basin-shaped pits filled with refuse. The other
two features (Feature 4 and Feature 9) were both small bathtub-shaped earth ovens
or roasting pits containing an abundance of charcoal and fire-cracked rock. Oxidation
of the clay subsoil forming the walls of these pits indicated in situ burning.
The magnetometer survey detected two of these features (Feature 3 and Feature
9). The magnetometer survey also indicated the presence of several additional
magnetic anomalies located outside of the main excavation units. Subsequent test
excavations confirmed that these anomalies represented prehistoric features that
had not been disturbed by plowing, and were therefore not reflected in the surface
distribution of cultural materials.
Artifacts recovered are typical of those excavated by James H. Kellar at the Mann
site (12 Po 2), located approximately 2 km south of the Graben site (Kellar, J.
H., "The Mann Site and Hopewell" in the Lower Wabash-Ohio Valley", in Hopewell
Archaeology, edited by David S. Brose and N'omi Greber, pp. 100-107, Kent State
University Press, Kent, Ohio, 1979). The material assemblages recovered from both
sites are readily distinguishable from the earlier Middle Woodland Crab Orchard
complex defined in the lower Wabash Valley by Howard Winters (Winters, H.D., "An
Archaeological Survey of the Wabash River Valley in Illinois", Illinois State
Museum Report of Investigations No. 10, Springfield,1963).
Two radiocarbon dates were obtained from samples of wood charcoal taken from each
of the roasting pits or earth ovens: Feature 4, Beta-38550, 1780 +/- 60 radiocarbon
years; Feature 9, Beta 38551,1810 +/- 60 radiocarbon years. [return to 1990 abstracts menu][continue to next]