Cross-mended ceramic sherds as a proxy for depositional processes at two Late Archaic shell rings in coastal Georgia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Characterizing the depositional and temporal nature of sediments lends insight into the construction of monuments and midden accumulation. Identifying discrete deposits at Late Archaic shell rings can be challenging due to the seemingly homogenous nature of shell deposits. Data from cross-mended artifacts can help identify surfaces and determine whether deposits are contemporaneous. We present cross-mend results from the St. Catherines Shell Ring and the Sapelo Island Shell Ring complex. In both cases, we observed vertical distance between cross-mends suggesting that detailed spatial control of artifacts and cross-mend analysis can be used to understand the nature of anthropogenic deposition and postdepositional processes.