This summer we will begin work at the Carson Mounds site, one of the largest prehistoric ceremonial centers in the Mississippi alluvial valley. In his 1894 landmark publication on the mounds of the eastern United States , Cyrus Thomas included a map of the site showing more than 80 mounds. Most of the smaller mounds have been obliterated by the more than 100 years of cultivation that followed. However, we hope to be able to relocate these mounds using the geophysical survey techniques which proved to be successful in addressing a similar problem at the Hollywood Mounds site. The prehistoric occupation at the site may be buried by 20 to 30 cm of sterile flood deposits; relatively few artifacts are evident on the surface. One of the primary goals of this year's research will be developing appropriate techniques for detecting buried cultural deposits of this sort. We will also begin work on the mounds using several different techniques of remote sensing, relying primarily on near surface, geophysical instruments. Ground truth excavations will be directed toward a better understanding of the resulting imagery and the structure of the site itself. The primary emphasis will, of course, be field work; everyone will have and opportunity to become familiar with the tools of archaeology, from trowels to gradiometers. A computer lab equipped with the latest image processing software will be set up at the field house and made available to students. Overviews of the 2002, 2003, and 2004 field schools at the Parchman Place Mounds and the 2001 field school research at the Hollywood Mounds are available through links in at this site.
Equipment
We will be using the following remote sensing instruments
FM 36 Gradiometer – Measures subtle variations in the magnetic field
KT 9 Kappameter – Good for small scale exploration of the magnetic susceptibility component of the magnetic field
Bartington MS2 Magnetic Susceptibility Meter with MS2H downhole probe
EM 31 Conductivity Meter – Introduces an electromagnetic field and measures the induced current which varies in response to the ability of the soil to conduct energy. This instrument is used more often in geological research since it record data at a depth of two to three meters below the surface.
EM 38B Conductivity Meter – Another conductivity meter, this one also measures an approximation of magnetic susceptibility. This is the standard conductivity instrument used by archaeologists in geophysical research because it measure features within the upper meter or so of the deposit.
GEM 300 – Another conductivity meter which uses several different frequencies simultaneously.
RM 15 Resistance Meter – Uses probes to introduce an electric current into the ground and measure variation in the resistance.
SIR 2000 – A ground penetrating radar system which allows soil properties and buried structures to be detected using the radar portion of the electromagnetic spectrum
Agema 550 Thermal Sensor – A hand held sensor, we use this to record differences in the thermal signature of archaeological features in profile and plan view. We also have a 25 foot long tethered blimp which we use to take low level imagery. The gimbal mountings will accept a 35 mm film camera as well as the thermal sensor. Both instruments are controlled from the ground.
Leica Total Station – Replaces our venerable optical transit in recording surface elevation as well as mapping features in the excavation units.
Students will also have ample opportunity to become familiar with the more traditional tools; shovels, trowels, screens, and field forms.
Enrollment
Total enrollment will be limited to 12 students, filled on a first come basis.
Accommodations
We will rent a house for the field school students and staff, probably in Clarksdale, one of the larger towns in the Delta, which is located about 10 miles to the southeast of the site and boasts several restaurants, pizza places, and blues clubs.
Schedule
The field school will begin on June 26 and conclude on July 25
Tuition
Undergraduates will sign up for Anthropology 335 for six hours of credit. In state tuition is $1,233 and out of state tuition is $1,974. Graduate students will take Anthropology 605, also a six hour course. In state fees are $1,644. Out of state tuition is $2,631. Both graduates and undergraduates may apply for tuition assistance to compensate for the difference between in state and out of state fees.
Application
In addition to regular registration, applicants will need to email or mail a one-page statement of interest to Jay K. Johnson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 ( sajay@olemiss.edu). In addition, if you wish to be considered for an out of state tuition waiver, ask your academic advisor or a professor who knows you well to write a letter of recommendation. If you have any questions, please call (662-915-7339) or email Professor Johnson.
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