The Williamson Site and the Late Archaic Eldorado Phase in Eastern Kansas

Abstract

The Williamson site is a Late Archaic El Dorado phase occupation located along Eagle Creek, a tributary of the Neosho River in east-central Kansas. Artifacts, features and faunal remains indicate that the Late Archaic deposits represent a series of seasonally occupied residential extractive camps focused on the resources available in the vicinity of Eagle Creek and the Neosho River ca. 3500-3600 radiocarbon years B.P. Other El Dorado phase components in eastern Kansas include larger occupations on alluvial terraces, smaller camps located on tributary streams, and upland burial mounds. These sites are characterized by projectile point assemblages including lanceolate, notched, and stemmed forms. El Dorado phase subsistence patterns were focused on prairie and riparian woodland resources. Mortuary data suggest the presence of differentiated social status within El Dorado phase society. The El Dorado phase adaptation can be viewed as a western variant of a broader Late Archaic tradition. Other expressions of this tradition include Late Archaic manifestations in eastern Kansas and the Nebo Hill and Sedalia phases located to the east along the Missouri River drainage.