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Title
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An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Lower Alabama River
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Date
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1980
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Bibliographic Citation
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Jenkins, Ned J., and Teresa L. Paglione. 1980. An Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Lower Alabama River. Final report submitted to the Alabama Historical Commission under Contract No. AHC 4-27913. Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery.
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annotates
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• Survey conducted in 1980, covering the Lower Alabama River corridor from Selma south to the Alabama–Tombigbee confluence.
o Identified 70 sites using local informants, collectors, and selective surface inspections; there is a strong bias toward large, artifact-rich sites.
o Resulted in the first systematic documentation of precontact and historical cultural resources away from federal (USACE) lands in the region.
o Emphasis on ceramic typologies, cultural phases (Deptford, Whiteoak, Henderson, McLeod, Alabama River, Pensacola), and influence of Mississippian and Woodland traditions.
• Choctaw are not explicitly mentioned, but multiple cultural elements and site types discussed are relevant to ancestral Choctaw contexts:
o The Alabama River Complex is associated with shell- and sand-tempered plain, incised, applique, and pinched ceramics, similar to those identified in Choctaw-related postcontact assemblages [1DS158, 1DS172, 1WX77, 1WX165]
o Several sites (e.g., 1DS158, 1WX77) include components from the Whiteoak and Alabama River phases, which are considered by other scholars to have possible cultural or linguistic links to the Choctaw via shared material traditions and spatial continuity.
o The Lower Alabama River corridor served as a zone of ceramic and cultural blending, with strong influence from Moeli (Mobila Nation), Tohomi (Tohome), and Tombigbee-area.
• 1DS158: Large multicomponent site at Molette Bend. Includes Late Woodland ceramics and historical materials.
• 1WX77: A (disturbed) mound and large habitation site, with ceramics dating to the Early Weeden Island and possible Alabama River phase. This site reflects ceremonial occupation and cultural layering likely relevant to Choctaw heritage frameworks.
• 1DS172 (Cedar Creek Mound): Mississippian mound and village site; not discussed in detail here but referenced elsewhere as culturally significant.
• 1WX165 & 1WX174: Reported as “mixed” Woodland and Mississippian components with Bayou La Batre and cord-marked ceramics.
• Report reflects 1980 CRM standards: collector-based site identification, heavy emphasis on surface finds, and no tribal or descendant consultation.
• Sites are described in archaeological typological terms, with no cultural framing beyond general Woodland/Mississippian designations.
• While systematic for its time, the report:
o Treats mound sites and habitation areas as artifact clusters, not sacred or cultural places.
o Omits discussion of burials, ceremonial significance, or Indigenous persistence.
• A decolonizing reinterpretation would:
o Encourage Choctaw and other descendant community involvement in reassessing mounds, Whiteoak-phase sites, and Alabama River-phase complexes.
o Treat the Alabama River culture as potentially part of a Choctaw ancestral trajectory, not just a regional phase.
o Recognize the role of this corridor in Indigenous movement, trade, and cultural continuity, not just ceramic diffusion.
CRM Utility Assessment
• Very useful for CRM site context and location in Choctaw-adjacent areas:
o Especially relevant for mound centers, multicomponent sites (e.g., 1DS158, 1WX77), and Late Woodland occupations.
• Limitations:
o No stratified testing or subsurface investigations.
o No ethical guidance regarding burials, sacred landscapes, or NAGPRA applicability.
• Recommendation:
o Use this report to prioritize field revisit and tribal consultation at sites with potential Choctaw relevance.
o Cross-reference with updated typologies and descendant-informed interpretations.
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owner
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sprice@wiregrassarchaeology.com