Big Eddy Site facts for kids
 Location in Missouri
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| Location | Stockton, Missouri, Cedar County, Missouri, United States |
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| Region | Cedar County, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 37°43′13.76″N 93°42′58.07″W / 37.7204889°N 93.7161306°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Archaic to the Mississippian period |
| Site notes | |
| Responsible body: Private | |
The Big Eddy Site (also known as 23CE426) is an amazing archaeological site in Cedar County, Missouri. It was first dug up by archaeologists in 1997. Today, this important site is slowly being washed away by the Sac River.
Contents
Discovering the Big Eddy Site
The Sac River has carved out a tall, steep bank, about 5.2 meters (17 feet) high. This carving has shown us many layers of earth, like a giant history book. These layers are similar to other ancient sites in the area. Over thousands of years, the river would gently flood, adding new layers of silt and mud. Then, the river would sometimes cut deeper, stopping new layers from forming for a while. This process created clear, separate layers of soil.
These layers have kept a record of people living here for nearly 14,000 years! We can see evidence of human life from the very first Paleo-Indians (like the Clovis culture) all the way through the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian times. It even shows how the Clovis culture might have changed into the Dalton culture.
What makes Big Eddy extra special is how clearly separated these layers are. The site was often sealed by layers of gravel or ancient soils called paleosols. These hard layers acted like protective caps, keeping older artifacts from getting mixed up with newer ones. Paleosols are especially cool because they formed when the environment changed, creating a tough "shell" over the older ground.
How the Site Was Found
Archaeologists only started digging at the Big Eddy site in 1997. Before that, not much archaeological work had been done in this part of Missouri. In the 1960s and 1970s, some studies happened nearby, which helped scientists understand the geologic history of the area, going back 100,000 years. They found signs of humans living there for a long time, but no very ancient Paleoindian sites.
In the 1970s, the Stockton hydroelectric dam was built on the Sac River. This dam changed the river's flow. The river, which had protected the site for so long, started to erode (wear away) the riverbank. This erosion exposed the ancient layers and began washing out artifacts that were up to 14,000 years old!
Local people started finding these old tools and objects. This caught the eye of professional archaeologists. In 1986, archaeologists officially "discovered" the site when they saw artifacts falling out of the riverbank.
No big research was done until 1997. The United States Army Corps of Engineers realized the site was in danger of being destroyed by water released from the dam. So, they hired the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) from Missouri State University to dig up the site. They funded three years of work.
The CAR team, led by archaeologists Ray and Lopinot, started digging. They used a road grader to remove the top layer of disturbed soil. Then, they dug deep trenches and blocks, carefully sifting through the dirt. They even took many soil samples from around the site. This work showed that Big Eddy was much more important than they first thought! They had to switch to very careful hand digging to keep track of everything.
The 1997 digs reached the bottom of the Paleoindian layers, about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) deep. But even deeper tests found more artifacts, including manuports (natural objects moved by humans) and charcoal, down to 4 meters (13 feet). These deeper finds were dated to be between 12,700 and 13,000 years ago.
After a break to study their findings, the team returned in 1999. They dug another 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) into even older layers, reaching an ancient gravel bar. It was during this time that they made some of the most exciting discoveries: possible pre-Clovis artifacts! If confirmed, these could be the oldest human-made objects ever found in North America.
The US Army Corps of Engineers has funded five years of digging in total. The CAR team continued working at the site until at least 2006. They hope to keep working with private funding before the river completely washes the site away.
Layers of Time at Big Eddy
One of the most amazing things about Big Eddy is its clear layers, which have stayed mostly untouched for over 14,000 years. This means artifacts from different time periods are neatly separated, one above the other. Big Eddy's layers are similar to another important site nearby, Rodgers Cave. Because of this, Big Eddy's layers are divided into three main parts: Early Rodgers, Middle Rodgers, and Late Rodgers.
The Late Rodgers layer is the most recent. Much of this top layer has been disturbed by farming, but some parts are still untouched.
Mississippian and Woodland Periods
These layers are found in the top part of the Late Rodgers deposits, about 500 to 2,500 years ago. Even though farming disturbed some of this area, the western side of the site still has its original layers. Scientists found maple wood charcoal here, which was dated to about 760 years ago. They also found special arrowheads called Kings Corner-Notched points, which are linked to the Middle Woodland period and the Hopewell tradition.
Late Archaic Period
Deeper in the Late Rodgers layer, about 1 to 2.5 feet (0.3 to 0.76 meters) below the surface, are remains from the Late Archaic period, dating from 2,500 to 5,500 years ago. Archaeologists found many stone tools and points from this time. These included Sedalia complex points and knives made from a type of rock called Jefferson City chert. They also found a trash pile (called a midden) with Williams Corner-Notched bifaces (tools sharpened on both sides). Other finds included animal and plant remains, nut-cracking stones, grinding stones (metates), and tools made from Burlington chert. Dates from charcoal samples here show they are about 4,020 years old.
Middle to Early Archaic Periods
Below the Late Archaic layers are the Middle Archaic deposits, going down to 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep. These layers cover a time from 5,500 to 8,000 years ago. These periods are found within the Middle Rodgers layers. The Early Archaic artifacts are just above Paleosol 1, which separates the Middle and Early Rodgers layers. Many different types of tools have been found here, including various kinds of spear points like Graham Cave, Cache River, Rice Lancelate, Rice Lobed, and Jackie Stemmed points. Some of these were found exactly where they were left by ancient people.
Dalton and San Patrice Cultures
Below the Middle Rodgers layers is a hard layer called Paleosol 1, found 2.9 to 3.2 meters (9.5 to 10.5 feet) below the surface. This layer acts like a seal, protecting everything below it. Inside this Paleosol layer, archaeologists found artifacts from the Dalton and San Patrice Cultures. Several points from these cultures were found in place, along with waste flakes from a stone tool workshop. Charcoal samples from this layer were dated to be between 10,185 and 11,280 years old. There might have been as many as five different cultures living at Big Eddy during this period, as other types of points were also found, though not in their original spots.
Clovis Culture
The Big Eddy site is possibly the only well-layered site that shows the change from the Dalton culture to the Clovis culture. Scientists hope this site can teach us more about this time, when stone tool technology suddenly changed after the extinction of giant animals in North America.
Below Paleosol 1 is the Early Rodgers layer. This layer is 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) thick and contains artifacts from 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. Evidence of Clovis people at this site comes from two artifacts. One is a special fluted point (a spear point with a groove) called a Gainey type, found 3.30 to 3.31 meters (about 10.8 feet) deep. Charcoal found nearby was dated to 10,710 to 10,940 years ago. Another Clovis artifact, a stone blade, was found a bit deeper.
Pre-Clovis Evidence
While all these discoveries are exciting, what made Big Eddy truly famous is the possible evidence of people living there before the Clovis culture. The 1997 dig stopped at the bottom of the Clovis layers, but deeper tests hinted at even older human activity. So, the team returned in 1999 to investigate. What they found might be some of the oldest artifacts in North America, but they are still debated because it's hard to be sure if humans definitely modified them.
Much deeper than the Clovis point, at 3.7 to 3.8 meters (12 to 12.5 feet) deep, they found three large cobbles (rounded stones) that might be manuports and three stone flakes. These stones were much bigger than other natural material the river would normally deposit. This makes it seem unlikely the river moved them, but it's not impossible.
At 3.9 meters (12.8 feet), a gravel layer seals the site. Everything below this layer is considered pre-Clovis. Two finds below this level have brought a lot of attention to Big Eddy. One is a large flat stone, possibly an anvil stone, broken into three pieces. The other is a large cobble. Both show signs of possibly being changed by humans. Also, the gravel layer itself contains many flakes.
The evidence is still a bit unclear, but it's very interesting. The archaeologists, Lopinot and Ray, are careful but hopeful. They have tested their finds. For example, the flakes in the gravel layer might be "zoofacts," meaning they were created by animals. They even did an experiment where African elephants walked on similar pebbles, and it created flakes that looked like the ones found at the site. However, some types of flakes found at Big Eddy were not created by the elephants.
The possible anvil stone has been studied a lot. It's a very large stone, weighing 4.5 kg (10 pounds) and about 21.6 cm (8.5 inches) long. It's much bigger than any other stones at this depth. Experiments were done using the Sac River to see if the river could have moved it. Even with strong water releases from the dam, the stone didn't move. So, it's likely a manuport, meaning humans moved it. The stone is also broken into three pieces very close together. The way the pieces are broken and positioned suggests they were moved deliberately after the break.
The stone also has pitted areas and marks on its edges. Three experts were asked to look at it. One expert, Tom Dillehay, who worked at the famous Monte Verde site, believes the stone shows signs of being man-made. However, two other experts believe the marks are from natural actions.
The possible hammerstone (a stone used for hitting) was also studied. It has seven cone-shaped marks on one end, which could mean it was used as a hammer. While we can't know if these objects were used together, Ray and Lopinot think they were likely used to smash the bones of mastodons and other large animals. They compare these finds to similar artifacts at other possible pre-Clovis sites like Cooperton, Oklahoma.
The evidence for people living at Big Eddy before the Clovis culture is still being discussed. So far, no object that was clearly changed by humans has been found below the Clovis layers. Scientists hope future digs will find more solid proof of these very early inhabitants.
Dating the Site
One challenge with many possible pre-Clovis sites is getting accurate dates. Big Eddy is special because its layers are so well-preserved. Layer after layer of silt was laid down over thousands of years, and the periodic sealing layers kept everything in place, making it easier to date. The archaeologists have been very careful in digging and recording everything.
It's rare to get solid dates for Paleoindian sites, but the Big Eddy team has gotten 15 dates from charcoal found in the Paleoindian layers. Just above the Paleosol, Early Archaic artifacts were found with charcoal dated to about 9,525 years ago.
Inside the Paleosol layer itself, charcoal found near the San Patrice points was dated to 10,185 years ago. Deeper in the Paleosol, three other dates were found: 10,400, 10,470, and 11,280 years ago.
Below the Paleosol, in the Early Rodgers layer, charcoal was found very close to the Clovis point. This charcoal was dated to 10,710 years ago. Clovis occupation is thought to go down to 3.55 meters (11.6 feet). But five more dates were found from material even deeper: 12,320, 11,930, 12,250, 11,375, and 12,590 years ago.
Even if clear pre-Clovis evidence isn't found, the excellent dating at Big Eddy has given us valuable information about the climate of the region over time. Different climate conditions lead to different kinds of plants growing. These plants leave different carbon "signatures" in the soil. By studying these carbon signatures and matching them to the dates, scientists can figure out what the climate was like at Big Eddy at different times.
Why People Lived Here
The Big Eddy site shows that people lived here almost continuously for 13,000 to 14,000 years. This amazing record makes us wonder: why did early Americans find this spot so appealing that they kept coming back for thousands of years?
The answer lies in the resources available. The site is located right where the Ozark forest meets the prairie lands. This meant people had access to rich resources from three different places: the forest, the plains, and the river. This would have given them a wide variety of food sources.
During the pre-Clovis and Clovis times, hunters would have found lots of animals to hunt. These included giant creatures like mastodons, tapirs, ground sloths, and horses, along with deer and giant beavers. Later, during the Holocene period, people would have eaten white-tailed deer, smaller animals, mussels, fish, waterfowl, and edible aquatic plants.
Besides good food, materials for making tools were also easy to find. Several different kinds of chert (a type of rock used for tools) were available in the area. People could find it in the river's gravel bars and on the slopes of the nearby bluffs.
The Future of Big Eddy
For 14,000 years, the regular flooding of the Sac River protected and preserved this incredible site. But now, every time the Stockton hydroelectric dam releases water, it cuts away at the riverbank. The riverbank is now only about 10 feet (3 meters) from the site, and it's eroding at a fast rate of about 4 feet (1.2 meters) per year. In just a few years, this important site could be completely gone.
Since 1997, archaeologists Ray and Lopinot have worked many seasons at the site, trying to save what they can before it's lost forever. They even come to work on weekends whenever possible. The funding from the Army Corps of Engineers has run out, so the Center for Archaeological Research is now looking for donations from people and companies to continue this vital work.
