Mississippian craft production in the Yazoo Basin: Thin-section analysis of a Mississippian structure floor on the summit of Mound D at the Carson site

Abstract

In the Mississippian Southeast, little is known about the economy of how craft goods were produced. Archeologists do understand to a certain degree the organization of production of certain microlithic tools, saltpans, and stone palettes and pipes, but few craft production areas have been identified. Evidence from the floor of a structure on the summit of Mound D at the Carson site, in Coahoma County, Mississippi, suggests for the production of items made of wood and shell. Recovered lithic tools may potentially have been used to craft items like shell beads and gorgets and perhaps wooden and stone statuary. This study contributes significantly to the study of craft production and suggests elites at Carson may have played a strong role in controlling valued prestige items. In addition to standard analyses of artifacts, thin-section analysis and micromorphology are techniques with great potential for identifying activities that took place on surfaces uncovered through structure excavations. With continued research, it is possible that our study will play a significant role in elucidating the role of elites in the political economy of craft production.