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Title
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Archaeological Survey in Mississippi, 1974-1975
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Date
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1980
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Bibliographic Citation
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Penman, John T. 1980. Archaeological Survey in Mississippi, 1974–1975. Archaeological Report No. 2. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson.
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annotates
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• This report documents a series of archaeological surveys conducted by MDAH for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service between 1974 and 1975. Surveys covered multiple watersheds across Mississippi, including Delta and upland regions, to identify archaeological resources that could be affected by reservoir and channel modification projects.
• Surveys employed pedestrian reconnaissance, surface collection, and opportunistic subsurface testing. Artifacts included lithics and ceramics, as well as historical materials deemed to have a potential 19th-century or earlier origin. Site records were made only for locations believed to predate the 20th century.
Choctaw / Ancestral Choctaw Relevance:
• The report contains a dedicated discussion of Choctaw sites in southeastern Mississippi, particularly in Jasper and Clarke counties.
• Named Choctaw towns include Oktakchinakbi (possibly 22JS534), Bishkun (22JS585, or 22JS554), and Chickachae (Chickasawhay), supported by references to Swanton and historical documentation.
• Choctaw ceramics and historical artifacts (e.g., gunflints, flintlock hardware, iron fragments) were recovered at sites identified as Choctaw villages, including 22JS585, 22JS534, and 22CK505.
• The Choctaw sites discussed were occupied into the 18th and early 19th centuries, some until ca. 1830 (Removal).
• Discussion of the Catholic mission as possibly located at 22JS541
• These are among the few sections in the document to present postcontact Native occupation explicitly and substantively.
• The report critiques earlier identifications made solely on local folklore without field verification, and emphasizes the need for archaeological evidence to support Choctaw site identifications.
Assessment for CRM Use / Archaeological Utility:
• This report includes valuable legacy data on precontact and historical sites across Mississippi, with particularly notable contributions for Clarke and Jasper counties in relation to Choctaw occupations.
• It presents archaeological evidence supporting identifications of known Choctaw towns using both artifact data and historical mapping (e.g., Swanton 1931).
• The Choctaw section is highly useful for CRM, tribal consultation, and historical landscape reconstruction, especially where missions, villages, or historic trails are concerned.
Data Presentation / Decolonizing Commentary:
• The report uses largely neutral technical language and avoids overt colonial framing. Choctaw sites are discussed seriously and with reference to tribal histories and geography.
• Biases and omissions: Early survey work by others is critiqued for reliance on unverified local lore.
o While this report avoids some common biases, its treatment of Native sites remains limited to material remains and documentary references—there is no direct tribal consultation or Indigenous perspective included.
• These site identifications could be significantly enhanced by tribal engagement and oral history.
o Further excavation or preservation planning at these historic Choctaw sites could inform studies of spatial organization, community planning, and cultural continuity.
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owner
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sprice@wiregrassarchaeology.com