Dating the middle to late woodland transition in the Illinois Valley: Radiocarbon and thermoluminescence dates from the Baehr-Gust site

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, Spring 2003 by Holt, Julie Zimmermann, Feathers, James K

Results

Radiocarbon Dating

Uncalibrated radiocarbon dates from 13 pit features range between 50 B.C. and A.D. 530, with relatively small margins of error of + or - 50 or 60 years (see Table 2). This range is much broader than the A.D. 400-500 span predicted by Winters et al. (1989) and clearly suggests two components, both Havana and White Hall. Most uncalibrated radiocarbon dates from Havana sites in the Illinois Valley predate A.D. 250, whereas most uncalibrated radiocarbon dates from White Hall sites postdate A.D. 300 (Farnsworth and Asch 1986:445; McConaughy 1993:Tables 13.8 and 13.9).

Features 4(1988) and 5(1988) produced uncalibrated dates that were earlier than expected, 20 B.C. and 50 B.C., respectively (see Table 2). Both of these pits contained some sherds that Winters classified as White Hall, but they also produced sherds Winters classified as Gustware.2 Winters named and defined this latter type and considered it a form of Hopewell ware (see Holt 2000:187; Owens 1994:214). TL dating later provided additional evidence for the relatively early age of Feature 4(1988).

It is believed that Features 4(1988) and 5(1988) are Havana pits and that Gustware should be considered a form of Hopewell ware, as Winters suggested. The sherds classified as White Hall were not readily available for reexamination at the time of this writing. It is believed, however, that they might more conservatively be classified as Woodland sherds given the considerable disagreement over how undecorated body sherds should be classified.

Feature 1(1987), the only feature excavated on the bluff rather than the flood-plain, also produced a radiocarbon date indicating a Havana occupation. This date, A.D. 110, was expected because the pit contained abundant Hopewell pottery, with only one small body sherd identified by Winters as White Hall (but again, see the discussion of body sherd identification above). TL dating later supported the relative age of this feature.

Three features produced uncalibrated dates clustering around A.D. 250, which is seen here as the break between Havana and White Hall. It is arbitrarily assumed that Feature 89-IA, with an uncalibrated radiocarbon date of A.D. 210, is a Havana pit, and Feature 89-II, with an uncalibrated radiocarbon date of A.D. 260, is White Hall.

The third of these features, Feature 91-XVIII, yielded an uncalibrated radio-carbon date of A.D. 230. This pit contained several Havana-Hopewell and many White Hall sherds. TL dating later demonstrated that one of the Havana-Hopewell sherds from this pit was hundreds of years older than one of the White Hall sherds from this pit. Based on this evidence we conclude that Feature 91-XVIII was a White Hall pit containing a few older Havana-Hopewell sherds and probably some older Middle Woodland charcoal as well; thus, the radiocarbon date for Feature 91-XVIII probably predates the pit's use.

The remaining seven features, with uncalibrated radiocarbon dates ranging between A.D. 340 and 530, clearly date to the White Hall phase. TL dating also indicated a relatively late date for one of these features, Feature 89-XVIII.