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Title
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A Cultural Resources Inventory of Six Wetland Reserve Program Tracks in Hale County, Alabama
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Date
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2012
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Bibliographic Citation
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Watkins, Joel T. 2012. A Cultural Resources Inventory of Six Wetland Reserve Program Tracks in Hale County, Alabama. Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. University of Alabama, Office of Archaeological Research, Moundville.
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annotates
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The fieldwork included: “Pedestrian inspection,” shovel testing of “select areas of potential,” and visual examination of plowed or disturbed surfaces
• Three previously unrecorded archaeological sites were identified: 1HA324, 1HA326, and 1HA332, and four previously recorded sites (1HA19, 1HA20, 1HA174 and 1HA175) were revisited.
• 1HA324: “Prehistoric scatter” with ceramic and lithic artifacts recovered from surface and shovel testing; potential “protohistoric” affiliation suggested by artifact mix and location.
• 1HA326: Tallahatta sandstone debitage and historical artifacts (e.g., brick, whiteware); interpreted as a disturbed multicomponent site including Early Archaic, Middle Woodland, and 20th-century activity.
• 1HA332: Ceramics and lithics; situated on a rise near Big Prairie Creek with evidence of repeated short-term occupation.
• 1HA19: Previously recorded site with historical account of burial urns containing infant remains (reported by landowners to Steve Wimberly in 1949); no new urns or remains were located during this survey, although Alabama River Applique ceramic sherds were recovered.
• 1HA175: Previously recorded site; this survey confirmed a “light scatter of debitage” and historical material with no intact deposits.
Human Remains / Funerary Items
• No human remains or funerary objects were identified during fieldwork.
• The report reiterates landowner accounts from the 1940s of urn burials at 1HA19, but no direct evidence was recovered in this revisit.
Choctaw / Ancestral Choctaw Relevance
• Choctaw are not explicitly mentioned, and no direct affiliation is proposed for any of the sites. However, several sites yielded ceramics and lithics associated with the Mississippian period, raising potential indirect relevance for regional ancestral Choctaw cultural geography.
Data Presentation / Decolonizing Commentary
• The report provides clear descriptions of field methods, artifact types, and contextual interpretation.
• Good use of least-cost path analysis between the survey sites and Moundville and their potential connections.
• While sites are labeled “Aboriginal,” no cultural affiliations are proposed, and the term “protohistoric” is used.
• From a decolonizing perspective:
o The documented urn burial tradition at 1HA19 deserves further attention in consultation with descendant communities
o Sites such as 1HA324 and 1HA332 should be evaluated as potential parts of a larger Indigenous land-use pattern, particularly if reassessed through tribal collaboration
CRM Utility Assessment
• A useful Phase I baseline for low-lying portions of Hale County not previously subjected to intensive survey.
• Sites 1HA324 and 1HA332 may warrant Phase II testing with consultation
• The reports of urn burials at 1HA19 increases the sensitivity of this location, despite the absence of current material evidence.
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owner
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sprice@wiregrassarchaeology.com