Part 5

Vessels with similar extensive all-over punctation are reported from the Lower Mississippi River Valley and called Parkin Punctated (Phillips, Ford and Griffin 1951:Fig. 94). But a vessel with extensive punctation over the upper two-thirds of it, with some zoned punctates in parallel lines below the handles, has been reported from Gumbo Point (23SA4), an historic Missouri site about a mile and a quarter to the northeast (Chapman 1959:Fig. 36).

Henning (1970) does not report such a design from the Utz site nor other nearby Oneota sites. This tempts one to suggest the vessel has stronger affinities to the historic Missouri than to the Oneota component nearby.

_Burial 5._ These highly fragmentary remains probably belong with the child in Burial 2. They were found in the northeast corner of square 5N-50W which is just north of the area of the child’s skull in Burial 2.

_Burial 6._ This individual was interred in a different pattern from the others. It was semi-flexed with the head and shoulders slumped forward and down as if the burial pit was not large enough to hold him (Figs. 2 and 9). Rodents had run through the chest area and gnawed some of the bone.

Grave goods consisted of a whole vessel and glass trade beads. The vessel, which was at his knee, was a globular jar having two strap handles with four incised lines running vertically from the rim, and double nestled chevrons below them. The chevron was filled with narrow-line, incised punctates (Fig. 10a-b). The rim was damaged. The vessel is 10.5 by 11.7 cm. at the orifice, 16.3 by 18.0 cm. at the shoulder and 12.8 cm. high, making it slightly oval in shape.

Two kinds of beads were found. One was a “seed” bead _ca._ 0.18 cm. in diameter with a 0.05 cm. hole. There were 202 of these found in the sand around the head and shoulders. They may have been in the hair. All were turquoise in color. The second kind included three larger specimens—two turquoise blue and one black. The blue were 0.66 x 0.84 cm., 0.8 x 0.75 cm. and 0.82 x 0.63 cm. in diameter and length. The first had a 0.2 cm. hole and the others 0.18 cm. The black was 0.58 x 0.58 cm. with a 0.12 cm. hole. These beads were found in the area of the left wrist.

These materials are historic trade goods, and are not significantly different from those at Gumbo Point (Chapman 1959) or at the Utz site (Robert T. Bray, personal communication). Although these materials could be the result of English or even American trading activities, it is thought they are French, for the following reasons.

It is probable that this individual was a member of the Gumbo Point late Missouri village which may date 1727-1777 A.D. (Chapman 1959:63). This village was very near Fort Orleans which dates 1723-1728 A.D. (Bray 1961a:216-219). At the same time, this burial is associated with others which have no trade goods and apparently are completely prehistoric. Therefore, one could argue that the body was interred at the time of the proto-historic-historic boundary for that village. That boundary would be about 1727 A.D. if Chapman’s (1959:2) assumed dating of the beginning of the village following the abandonment of the Utz site is correct.

However, it could be argued that Burial 6 had nothing to do with the Oneota burials with it, and that the body could date as late as 1777 A.D. But for that to be so, we would have to assume it was just chance that of the several old beaches in that field this Indian was placed right in an earlier burial area. Rather, it seems more reasonable to have the cemetery area known and indeed the burials marked, so that the interment could take place without disturbing them.

Whether the Missouri Indians marked their graves cannot be stated, as no data on their mortuary practices are known. We do know that the Winnebago placed a post at the head of a grave (Radin 1923:144), and as the Missouri and Winnebago are both Chiwere Sioux, it is possible that this is an old shared trait. If this is so, and if the 1727 A.D. dating is correct, the trade goods are probably French as they were extremely active in this area at this early date.

DISCUSSION

Two separate, but related, cultural components are present at the site: Oneota and historic Missouri. Burials 1 through 4 were originally supine extended interments, although they have suffered much from plowing, and their associated artifacts indicate a general Oneota affiliation. Burial 4 with its punctated vessel though is probably late, bordering on the late proto-historic-historic Missouri line. Burial 6, with its glass trade beads, is historic, and since the Gumbo Point site (23SA4), a historic Missouri village dating around 1727-1777 A.D., is only one and a quarter miles to the northeast of the Utlaut site, the burial is probably an Indian of that village.

The following data on Oneota burial practices can be extracted from these data. Individuals are buried in a supine extended position on a northeast-southwest axis. In three cases, Burials 1, 3 and 4, the head is to the northeast; in one, Burial 2, it is southwest. Grave goods of pots, projectile point, shell spoon or scraper were present but seemingly not very diagnostic of social position, although the pots may be associated only with children here (Burials 2 and 4). Also, unless one assumes everyone was buried at the same time, it seems that the graves were marked so people could be interred over a period of time without disturbing early graves, and so they could be aligned with each other.

Two adults seem to have “trophy” skeletal materials with them: a skull on the knees of Burial 2 (burnt) and many fragments of three and possibly four people on the lower legs of Burial 1. Bray (1961b:17-19) reports a “trophy head” with an Orr focus Oneota burial at the Flynn site, and glass trade beads with it point to this being an historic Ioway trait. Because there is no historic data on Missouri Indian burial practices, it is not possible now to tell if the trait is associated with them nor just what it may mean.

One could explain the skeletal remains, especially those with Burial 1 as secondary interments of graves which were somehow disturbed. In which case the term “trophy” would be inappropriate and misleading. This possibility is found in the fact that the Winnebago had two burial patterns: inhumation and platform associated with the phratry divisions of the culture, although the latter practice died out in historic times (Radin 1923:140). Since the Missouri are related to the Winnebago it is possible that these materials are inhumed platform burials.

However, the presence of single skulls with Burial 2, burnt too, and with an Ioway at the Flynn site cannot be explained that easily. The skull on the knees of Burial 2 was burnt at the time of interment as the knee area was also burned. Then too, if one was collecting platform burial remains to be inhumed, more than just the skulls would be lying about to be collected. Again if we look at the Winnebago we get some interesting data. In a discussion of grave-post markings, Radin (1923:155) points out that a warrior who had killed a man and cut off his head received a special grave-post signifying the deed. Unfortunately, he does not tell us if the head was buried with him.

As can be seen by the above discussion, there are data to support both interpretations, and indeed, maybe these burials in fact are the result of both sets of behavior rather than only one set.

A comparison of the Utlaut site Oneota burials with other Oneota burial data follows. From the Leary site in Nebraska Wedel reports (1935:25-26) two types of interments: (1) supine burials with beads to the north (3), east (3) or south (2). Associated with them are knives, hematite and a bison hoe as grave goods. (2) Bundled or jumbled bones within a pit and probably removed from scaffolds. Bass reports (1961) a body without head, semi-flexed on its back and left side.

Myers and Bass (n.d.) give the following data on Oneota burial material from Iowa. At the Hartley site (13AM103) in Allamakee County, Burial 1 was primary extended with head west and face north. It was a child about ten years old and with it was a pot and chert knife. Burial 2 was a female, 20-30 years old, primary extended with head northeast and no artifacts. Burial 3 was a child, 10-13 years old with a pot. It was a secondary burial. Burial 4 was a female, 20-30 years of age, primary extended with head to the east. A bison scapula hoe was with it. Burial 5 was a male, 25-35 years old; it was a primary one with the body in a semi-sitting position and head on chest. The head faced northwest and the face was down. No grave goods were present. Burial 7 was a secondary bundled indeterminate adult. Burial 8 was a female, 18-28 years, primary extended burial with head to the northwest and no artifacts. Burial 10 was a nine year old child, primary extended with head to east. A pot was associated with it (Myers and Bass n.d.:7-11).

At the Blood Run site (13L02) in Lyon county, five burials were reported by Myers and Bass (n.d.). Burial 1 was a 3 to 4 year old child. It was extended in a pit in a mound with head facing northwest. Associated were copper earrings, two wooden tubes at the ears and a rim sherd at the right elbow. Burial 2 was a 30-40 year old male, extended supine with head northwest and no artifacts. Burial 3 was a 35-45 year old male, extended with head north and face to the east. It may be burnt on the left side. Associated was a catlinite pipe and a shell bead. Burial 4 was a male, 21-28 years of age, extended supine with head northeast and no artifacts. Finally, Burial 5 was a 2-3 year old child, associated with Burial 2; the grave goods were three blue glass beads (Myers and Bass n.d.:35-40).

At Correctionville site the burials are reported as extended supine (Myers and Bass n.d.:43). At the Flynn site (13AM51) in Allamakee county ten burials were recovered (Bray 1961b: 15-18). Burial 1 was a fully extended, supine adult with head to north. Associated were a raven skull, two bone beads, two shell beads, two copper or brass ornaments, a bone pendant and a small animal scapula. Burial 2 was a fully extended supine adult with head north. Associated were a pumice lump, red ochre, rolled copper or brass tubes, chert flakes and a belt of rolled copper or brass beads. Burial 3 was a fully extended supine adult with two triangular projectile points and some small animal bones. Burial 4 was a fully extended supine adult oriented east-west. No trade goods were found; only aboriginal bone whistles, a heron beak, a bone tube and a squirrel skull. Burial 5 was an adult oriented north-south and accompanied by many offerings: a pot, a fresh water clam shell, 100 copper/brass beads, 12 copper/brass bracelets, sheet copper, two steel knives, a steel awl, chert flakes, glass beads and “bead” girdle as in Burial 1. Burial 6 was a fully extended supine adult with a north-south orientation, with the head north. Artifact associations were blue and green glass beads, a beaver incisor, chert flakes, a polished bison rib, a beaded girdle as with Burials 1 and 5 and a “trophy” human skull at the left knee area. Burial 7 was different because it was deeper, under slabs of rock, and in a pit. Present was a child’s skull and two carnivore jaws. Burials 8 and 9 were incomplete and damaged, but seem to have been an adult and a 30-month old child. Burial 10 was a fetus or newborn infant.

Ten burials are reported (Henning 1970:120-212) from the Utz site (23SA2), the nearest large Oneota site just a few miles east of the Utlaut site. Position, sex and age are known only for a few. Burial 3 was a 27 year old male, fully extended with a mussel shell, sheet copper and bone tube. Burial 4 consisted of two adults, but only one complete, fully extended 40 year old female. Burial 5 was a 30 year old male with a bone awl, a deer phalanx and worked hematite. Burial 7 was a 35 year old male with knives and abrader. Burial 8 was fully extended, 35 years old, male, covered with red ochre and was accompanied by several chert flakes. He may have died of wounds, since a projectile point was found in the cervical vertebrae. Finally, in the summer of 1970 an adult male was found in a storage/trash pit at the site (Robert T. Bray, personal communication).

Having reviewed the data on Oneota burials in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, the following hypotheses or assertions or guesses are offered concerning the general character of Oneota mortuary practices. Hopefully they will be tested in the future when more, especially descriptive, data become available.

(1) The bodies typically seem to be supine and fully extended.

(2) Orientation to a specific cardinal point does not seem to be involved as they range all around the compass.

(3) There appears to be some evidence that the graves were marked.

(4) Although most burials have some grave goods material, some do not. Except for the “trophy” material and the fact that some of the historic burials have more artifacts, there do not seem to be marked differences in the wealth of the burials. Possibly each individual is accompanied by some personal tool or ornament. At the Flynn, Hartley and Utlaut sites, burials of children are accompanied by ceramic vessels—at the Blood Run site, with a rim sherd. If this is a pattern, it changed in historic times because burials with pots and trade goods are adult (Flynn, B. 5, and Utlaut, B. 6).

(5) The lack of rich burials in the proto-historic (Oneota) period and their presence in the historic suggests a process of social stratification may be occurring because of new wealth. But this may be more apparent than real, if the “trophy” material at the Utlaut site was the proto-historic means of marking status to be replaced in the historic period by trade goods. If that is so, then it would suggest some social stratification in Oneota continuing through to the known historic Missouri chiefs.

_Acknowledgments._ The senior author is pleased to acknowledge the support of Kansas State University’s Bureau of General Research for a 1970 Summer Fellowship. The fellowship made possible this research. The cooperation of Robert T. Bray, Director, Lyman Archaeological Research Center, University of Missouri, is gratefully acknowledged for his help and many kindnesses throughout this work. To him, and my other colleagues: Alfred E. Johnson and W. Raymond Wood, who all helped to run the joint Midwestern Archaeological Field School in the summer of 1970 go my thanks. William M. Bass kindly loaned me the Myers and Bass manuscript which was most appreciated as it was essential for this analysis. Finally, thanks are due to the students of the field school who excavated these materials: Mike Gilman, Tom Green, Kevin Hart, Ann Hirsh and Donna Roper, for without their good spirits and effort the work could not have been done.

REFERENCES CITED

ANDERSON, J. E. 1969 _The Human Skeleton: A Manual for Archaeologists._ National Museum of Canada, Ottawa. BASS, WILLIAM M. 1971 Personal Communication. BASS, WILLIAM M. 1961 1960 Excavations at the Leary Site, Richardson County, Nebraska 25RH1. _Plains Anthropologist_, 6: 31, 201-202. BRAY, ROBERT T. 1961a The Missouri Indian Tribe in Archaeology and History. _Missouri Historical Review_, LV: 3, 213-225. Columbia. 1961b The Flynn Cemetery: An Orr Focus Oneota Burial Site in Allamakee County, Iowa. _Journal of the Iowa Archaeological Society_, 10: 4, 15-25. BROTHWELL, DON R. 1963 _Digging Up Bones._ British Museum, London. HENNING, DALE R. 1970 Development and Interrelationships of Oneota Culture in the Lower Missouri River Valley. _The Missouri Archaeologist_, Vol. 32, Whole Volume. Columbia. KROGMAN, WILTON M. 1962 _The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine._ Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois. MCKERN, THOMAS W. AND T. D. STEWART 1957 _Skeletal Age Changes in Young American Males._ Technical Report EP-45, Quartermaster Research and Development Center, U.S. Army, Natick, Massachusetts. MORSE, DAN 1969 _Ancient Disease in the Midwest._ Reports of Investigations No. 15, Illinois State Museum. MYERS, JUDY A. AND WILLIAM M. BASS n.d. An Analysis of the Human Skeletal Material from Some Oneota Sites. Unpublished Manuscript. TROTTER, MILDRED AND GOLDEN C. GLESER 1958 A Re-evaluation of Estimation of Stature Based on Measurements of Stature During Life and of Long Bones After Death. _American Journal of Physical Anthropology_, 16: 1, 79-124. Philadelphia. PHILLIPS, P., J. A. FORD AND J. B. GRIFFIN 1951 Archaeological Survey in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, 1940-1947. _Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University_, Vol. XXV. Cambridge. RADIN, PAUL 1923 _The Winnebago Tribe._ Thirty-seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution.

APPENDIX I SKELETAL REMAINS FROM THE UTLAUT SITE

by Kevin Hart and Clark Larsen

The following paper reports the osteological data on the burials from the Utlaut site. The authors are indebted to Dr. William M. Bass, formerly of the University of Kansas, now Chairman, Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, for his encouragement and criticisms on this paper, and especially for his training while Visiting Professor of Anthropology at Kansas State University in the Spring, 1971. He is, of course, not responsible for any errors on our part.

_Burial 1_ Sex: Male Age: 35⁺ Stature: 5′8″ ± 1.28″ (173.46 cm ± 3.24 cm)

Burial One is a middle aged male in good condition, represented by an almost complete skeleton. Of the major bones, only the left radius, right ulna and left clavicle are absent, along with the second cervical, four thoracic and one lumbar vertebra. Except for eight phalanges of the hand, all of the hand and feet bones are also missing.

The sex of the individual is based on several factors. First, the width of the femur head is 46 mm., within the male range according to Krogman (1962:143-146). The skull is characterized by heavy brow ridges, blunt upper edges of the eye orbits, and a general overall ruggedness indicating a male. The pelvis, however, does have a wider than usual sciatic notch for a male.

Despite some erosion, the pubic symphyses show a breakdown of the symphyseal rim and face indicating an age of 38⁺ (McKern and Stewart:83). Endocranial suture closure is complete, suggesting an approximate age of at least 40. Thirdly, toothwear on the remaining molars seem to follow the pattern in Brothwell (1963:69) for the 35-45 age group.

The Stature was calculated using the formula 1.22 (Femur and Tibia) + 70.37 ± 3.24 (Trotter and Gleser 1958:120).

Both the tibiae (Fig. 11) and fibulae show evidence of inflammation of the Periosteum (Periostitis), similar to cases noted in Morse (1969:108). In addition, one lumbar vertebra has an anomalous growth on it, and the chin of the individual protrudes abnormally. The hole in the skull shown in the burial picture is the result of an accident in the excavation.

Resting on and around the knees of Burial One were a number of whole bones and bone fragments of at least three other individuals.

_Sex_ _Age_ _Stature_

Male 30⁺ —— —— 30⁺ —— —— —— ——

These bones were laid in a haphazard manner. Most of the larger post cranial bones are represented by fragments from two separate individuals, but there are parts of three left femora present and possibly four. The poor condition of the fourth femur fragment left the side in doubt. The skull fragments are from at least two different persons. Mixed in with these human bones are two tibia fragments from a deer.

A skull fragment from one individual shows heavy muscle marking on the occipital region, and a fairly large mastoid process, suggesting a male. There are insufficient pieces of skull from the other individual or individuals for any judgment on their sex. The pieces of innominate are also fragmentary, although it appears that one acetabulum is rather large, possibly indicating a large femur head. While the long bones from all the individuals seem large, all the femur and humerus heads are missing, preventing any measurements for sex. All the long bones are broken.

The age determination is based on the presence of completely closed endocranial sutures on the skull fragments of two persons, suggesting a mature age. Although suture closure is not a good criterion for age (McKern and Stewart 1957:37), a more accurate age estimate is not possible because of the absence of pubic symphyses and teeth.

Stature could not be determined because of the broken condition of the long bones.

_Burial 2_

There are at least two individuals represented in this burial.

_Sex_ _Age_ _Stature_

Male 28-35 5′9.3″ (175.9 cm ± 3.24 cm) —— 3-6 ——

The adult bones associated with this burial included the upper portion of a skull, right and left femur, right and left tibia, two fibula fragments, a first sacral vertebra, and fragments of both the right and left innominates. The child is represented by a left parietal. Several of the skull fragments as well as the right femur and sacral vertebra of the adult showed evidence of burning. Most of the skeletal material is fragmentary and in poor condition.

The age of the adult is based on cranial suture closure. The sutures endocranially are closing, but ectocranially the sutures are still quite distinctive and have not yet begun to close. This indicates an age of 28 to 35 years. However, some authorities feel this is not a good criterion for aging (McKern and Stewart 1957:37).

The sex is based on morphological characteristics of the cranial material. The skull contained large frontal sinuses and heavy muscle markings, indicative of the male sex (Krogman 1962:112-152).

Stature was based on the formula for Mongoloids given by Trotter and Gleser (1958:120) for the femur plus the tibia. Using the left femur plus the tibia the stature estimation was calculated to be 5′9.3″ with a range from 5′8″ to 5′10.6″ (175.9 cm ± 3.24 cm). This stature is also indicative of the male sex.

Age of the child is determined by the thickness and size of the left parietal. This indicated an age of probably not younger than three and not older than six.

_Burial 3_ Age: 10-12

This child’s burial consisted of the major portion of an articulated skull, a mandible, a left scapula, right and left tibia, right and left femur, right and left innominates, two rib fragments, and two lumbar vertebrae. The condition of this burial is poor with all the bones being in various stages of fragmentation.

The age of this individual is based on tooth eruption and wear. The adult second molars are fully erupted and show no wear. The adult second premolars are in the process of erupting, indicating an age of 10-12 (Brothwell 1963:59).