Evidences of Pre-Pottery Cultures in Louisiana

Abstract

Studies of Louisiana's prehistory have been devoted largely to the pottery-making and mound-building cultures. The topography of the state is primarily responsible for this fact, since the delta lands of southern Louisiana and the wide, fertile river valleys of the northern part were particularly suitable for the agricultural peoples whose numerous sites have attracted attention. Witness to this fact is the long sequence of pottery-containing cultures (Tchefuncte, Marksville, Troyville, Coles Creek, Plaquemine, historic Natchez) delineated by Ford, Willey, and Quimby in central and southern Louisiana, while the Red and Ouachita River valleys in the northern portion present another series of culture periods (Marksville, Coles Creek, Gahagan, Bossier, Belcher, Glendora) which culminate in the historic Caddo.Despite these facts, evidences of pre-pottery cultures are appearing in the state and these may be expected to increase as more careful investigations are pursued. This could be anticipated from the situation in surrounding states—the Edwards Plateau culture of central Texas, the Ozark Bluff Dweller culture of Arkansas and the several strata which underlie the pottery containing cultures in the Southeast, recently reviewed by Haag.