Geoarchaeology of the lower Mississippi Valley

Abstract

The geomorphological description of the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) as presented by Harold N. Fisk in 1944 differed from most other representations in that morphogenesis was always implied. The intellectual climate of the times was highly conducive to the multidisciplinary approach. Then archaeologists were accepting the premise that the cultural history of the New World involved a few millennia rather than just several dozen centuries. It is fortunate that some of the most active archaeologists came on the scene with strong backgrounds in geology and related earth sciences. These prehistorians were sensitive to the role of the environment in shaping the relationships of man and land. Virtually every archaeologist who worked in the LMV immediately came to respect and utilize the concepts of Fisk. Because, in part, to the introduction of radiocarbon dating, archaeologists of the last half century have furthered the refinement of Fisk's chronology but the basic concepts have remained. This is not to say that there have not been vigorous challenges to Fisk, but they have not destroyed the usefulness of this monumental contribution.