Archaeological Findings at the Dabbs Site facts for kids

The Dabbs Site is an archaeological site in Cartersville, Georgia, USA. It's a special place where scientists study old villages. These villages were built long ago near rivers and streams. We don't know the exact names of the people who lived here. But they left clues about their lives. They farmed, hunted, and made pottery.

Where is the Dabbs Site?

The Dabbs Site is close to the Etowah Indian Mounds. It sits above the Etowah River. This site is about 720 feet (220 meters) high. It is about 120 meters long and 115 meters wide. The area is mostly flat farmland. It is surrounded by forests.

The Land and Soil

The Dabbs Site is in a larger area of Georgia. This area is called the Great Valley District. The soil here is special. It has a top layer of silt loam. This soil is often reddish-brown. Below that is a clay layer. This clay is dark red. This is because of old farming activities. The soil also contains limestone, sandstone, and shale rocks.

A Look Back in Time: The Woodland Period

Archaeologists have learned a lot about Georgia's past. They group different times into periods. The Dabbs Site is from the Woodland period. This was a time when people started to live in one place more often. Their populations also grew.

Early Woodland Period

The Early Woodland period was from about 1000 BC to 300 BC. Before this, people were often moving around. During this time, people started to settle down more.

Middle Woodland Period

The Middle Woodland period was from about 300 BC to AD 500. People began to live in small villages. These villages were often near river floodplains or streams. People also started to farm more. They grew plants like maize (corn) and squash.

Late Woodland Period

The Late Woodland period was from about AD 400 to AD 1000. This was a time of big changes. People settled down for even longer. They also started to grow a lot more corn. New tools like the bow and arrow were used. This period also saw more organized groups of people.

What We Found: Homes and Tools

At the Dabbs Site, archaeologists found remains of small village homes. These homes were often round or oval shaped. They were usually 4 to 7 meters (13 to 23 feet) across. These homes were built near rivers or streams.

Special Buildings and Burials

Larger structures were also found. These were shaped like mounds. Scientists think these were places where many people gathered. They might have been used for ceremonies or special events. Some mounds were also used for burials.

Burials were found near caves. They contained valuable items. These items included Copper, shiny mica decorations, and marine (ocean) artifacts. Ground stones were also found. These items show what was important to the people.

Plants and Pottery

During the Middle Woodland period, many plant remains were found. These included maize, squash, marsh-elder, and may grass. These plants show what people grew and ate.

Many pottery pieces were also found. Two main types were common: Cartersville and Early Swift Creek vessels.

• Cartersville vessels were large jars. They often had four small feet. Some were decorated with a checkerboard pattern. Others had simple stamped designs.
• Swift Creek vessels were jars with pointed bottoms. There were also flat bowls. They had curved designs. These also had four small feet.

Late Woodland Discoveries

In the Late Woodland period, homes were still round. They were about 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet) across. They were built with single posts. More people lived in these villages. They spread out along bigger rivers and terraces.

New tools like the bow and arrow were found. This shows that technology was improving. It also suggests that groups might have had conflicts. There was also strong evidence of growing a lot of corn during this time.