Watershed Conservation Plan - Destination Erie

associated with Adena societies, well known for their mortuary ceremonialism, especially the construction
of conical, accretional burial mounds (Milner 2004:54; Greber 1990). Adena mounds are often associated
with wooden buildings and enclosures which probably functioned in mortuary ceremonies, and the mounds
themselves may contain log-lined tombs, primary and secondary interments, and cremation burials. Ornate
artifacts sometimes associated with burials include stone platform pipes, carved stone tablets, copper bracelets
and breastplates, cut mica, and marine shell beads (Milner 2004:61).
The influence of Adena on northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio seems to have been
minimal, however, with Adena-related phenomenon generally marked by variations of the Ohio Valley Adena
stemmed projectile point. These parallel-sided, flat, and excurvate base points span the temporal evolution
from Cresap to late Robbins and are often manufactured from Flint Ridge chert (Johnson et al. 1979:72).
In addition to these Adena-influenced societies, at least two other Early Woodland cultural complexes
are represented in the archaeological record of northwestern Pennsylvania. In the upper Allegheny Valley,
Forest Notched points persist into the Early Woodland, and are associated with tubular clay and stone pipes,
and perhaps the earliest pottery in the region (Johnson et al. 1979:69; Mayer-Oakes 1955). Overlapping the
Forest Notched complex in time and space are artifacts of the Meadowood phase, including diagnostic sidenotched
projectile points, cache blades/preforms, and Vinette I ceramics. The presence of Meadowood points
throughout the northwestern corner of the Commonwealth suggests continued cultural ties with western and
central New York, the Genesee Valley, and southern Ontario (Johnson et al. 1979:71; McConaughy 1989:7).
Little is known about Meadowood settlement or subsistence patterns in northwestern Pennsylvania, although
it has been noted that such Early Woodland sites tend to be situated on sandy, well-drained terraces near
marshy zones (McConaughy 1989:19). Such locales would have been well-suited for the exploitation of
waterfowl during their spring and/or fall migrations. In southern Ontario and western New York, most
excavated non-mortuary Meadowood sites are small fall camps for the procurement and processing of deer
and nuts (Spence et al. 1990:136). The concentration of Meadowood sites along the northern shore of Lake
Erie and the presence of fish remains and net sinkers at some of these Ontario sites suggest that fishing was
an important spring activity, perhaps coincident with communal burial ceremonies
The term "Middle Woodland" (ca. A.D. 1–1000) is often applied to manifestations of Hopewell
distinguished by its extravagant burial ceremonialism, diversified craft arts, and inter-regional exchange
(Dancey 2005:109). Hopewell and Hopewell-related sites are widely distributed throughout eastern North
America and have been identified in the Southeast, along the Tombigbee and Savannah Rivers; along the
Mississippi River valley from Louisiana through Mississippi and north into western Illinois and Wisconsin;
along the Ohio Valley from southern Illinois and Indiana, through southern Ohio and West Virginia; on the
middle Tennessee River valley and in southern Appalachia generally; and within the Missouri River valley
(Dancey 2005:113). Given the significant environmental diversity over this enormous area, it seems unlikely
that "Hopewell" represents a unitary culture, but may be more profitably viewed as a cultural horizon as
originally suggested by Willey and Phillips (1958).
Hopewell is characterized by a great variety of artifacts often manufactured from materials obtained
from sources far from where they were eventually used and deposited. Notable items include mundane and
mortuary ceramic vessels, hand-held and stationary smoking pipes, clay human figurines, conch shell dippers,
mica mirrors, panpipes, flint bladelets, non-utilitarian celts, awls and projectile points, modified human
remains, body ornaments including earspools, headplates, rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, gorgets, and
breastplates, attachments for clothing including buttons, beads, cutouts, and tinklers, and fabrics (Dancey
2005:114). Favored materials included copper, meteoric iron, galena, hematite, mica, quartz, obsidian,
chalcedony, hornstone, pipestone, steatite, gypsum, cannel coal, bear canines, alligator and shark teeth,
marine and freshwater pearls, marine and freshwater shell, feathers, hair, skin, and rarely, silver and gold
(Dancey 2005:114). The degree of craftsmanship exhibited in these media may imply craft specialization
among at least some Hopewell populations. Alternatively, it may be the case that all communities had their
own skilled artisans, who though specialized, were not divorced from direct participation in food procurement
and/or processing. This latter view may be supported by the identification of possible craft houses in several
Hopewell centers (Baby and Langlois 1979).
In addition to distinctive artifacts, Hopewell is renowned for the construction of burial and platform
mounds as well as geometric enclosures. The Hopewell mortuary program continued earlier practices,
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