Identifying Site Structure in the Archaeological Record: An Illinois Mississippian Example

Abstract

Models of site structure, though common in the ethnoarchaeological literature, are rarely used in the interpretation of the archaeological record. In this study, Portnoy's (1981) model of settlement space and function provides an interpretive framework for inferences on the organization and use of space at the Bridges site, a late prehistoric settlement in south-central Illinois. Unlike its predecessors, this model focuses on the daily activities and interactions of the resident community and identifies a communal front region, a family front region, a family back region, and a communal back region. From this model, it is possible to derive the material consequences of the activities performed in each of the activity regions. Given the proper excavation strategy, it is then possible to define the site framework from the arrangement of structures and features and to infer the nature of the activities from the distribution of debris. As identified at the Bridges site, the nature and organization of the activity regions suggest the presence of an integrated settlement with communal work spaces. This interpretation of the site has important implications for our understanding of late prehistoric chronologies and settlement plans.