Tchefuncte Site facts for kids
 Location in Louisiana
|
|
| Location | Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana USA |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°19′55.56″N 90°1′33.38″W / 30.3321000°N 90.0259389°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 500 BCE |
| Abandoned | 1 CE |
| Periods | Tchula period |
| Cultures | Tchefuncte culture |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1938, 1941, 1986 |
| Archaeologists | Clarence Johnson, Edwin Doran, Richard Weinstein, Charles Pearson, Dave Davis Civilian Conservation Corps, Coastal Environments, Inc., Tulane University |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | shell middens |
|
Tchefuncte Site
|
|
| Area | less than one acre |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000717 |
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 2000 |
| Responsible body: State of Louisiana | |
The Tchefuncte Site (pronounced Che-funk'tuh) is an important archaeological site in Louisiana. It's a special place where scientists study the ancient Tchefuncte culture. This site is found inside Fontainebleau State Park, close to Mandeville.
People lived here a very long time ago, from about 500 BCE (Before Common Era) to 1 CE (Common Era). This time is known as the Tchula period. Archaeologists like Clarence Johnson and Edwin Doran led big digs here in 1938 and 1941.
Contents
What is the Tchefuncte Site?
The Tchefuncte Site is located in a marshy area. It is about half a mile north of Lake Pontchartrain in eastern Louisiana.
This site once had two large piles of shells. These piles are called shell middens. They were shaped like ovals. One pile, Midden A, was about 52 meters long and 15 meters wide. The other, Midden B, was about 46 meters long and 33 meters wide. Midden B is no longer there today.
The shell piles were mostly made of shells from a clam called Rangia cuneata. These clams live in brackish water, which is a mix of fresh and salt water. When people lived here, a large freshwater bayou was nearby. It flowed into the lake.
Discovering the Past: Excavations
Before 1938, parts of the site were damaged by people digging for shells. In 1938, construction workers wanted to use the shells for building roads.
Before they could, Clarence Johnson, a historian, led an excavation. He dug up the northern part of Midden B. The southern part was already gone. Johnson then gave his findings and notes to the Louisiana Archaeological Survey.
More Digs and Discoveries
In 1941, more digging happened at both Midden B and Midden A. These digs were led by Edwin B. Doran, Jr. The results of these studies were published in 1945. The book was called "The Tchefuncte Culture: An Early Occupation of the Lower Mississippi Valley."
This book used information from the Tchefuncte Site and other similar places. It showed that the Tchefuncte Site was mainly used by the Tchefuncte culture. This helped make the Tchefuncte Site the main example for understanding this ancient culture.
In 1986, more archaeologists studied Midden A. They included Richard Weinstein, Charles Pearson, and Dave Davis. In 2000, the site was mapped for the National Register of Historic Places. This helps protect important historical places.
Understanding the Tchefuncte Culture
The Tchefuncte culture existed from about 600 BCE to 200 CE. People from this culture traded less over long distances than the earlier Poverty Point culture. However, they still traded with groups in other areas. These areas include parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Their homes were likely simple, round shelters. They probably used light poles for the frame. They covered their homes with plants like palmetto, thatch, or grass mixed with mud.
What Did Tchefuncte People Eat?
The Tchefuncte people were mostly hunter-gatherers. This means they found their food by hunting animals and gathering plants. They lived in small villages in the Lower Mississippi Valley and along the Gulf Coast. They usually lived near slow-moving streams.
Their diet included many kinds of seafood. They ate clams, alligators, and fish. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to eat crabs or crawfish, even though these were likely common. They also hunted animals like deer and raccoons. They ate some birds that migrated through the area.
How Tchefuncte People Made Pottery
The Tchefuncte culture was the first group in Louisiana to make a lot of pottery. Their pottery has been found in many places. These range from eastern Texas to eastern Florida, and from coastal Louisiana to southern Arkansas.
They made pots by coiling clay into a shape. Then, they smoothed the clay to form a container. They made many different shapes of pots. Many had unique "footed" bases. They often decorated their pots by pressing fingernails, twigs, or tools into the wet clay. After decorating, they slowly baked the pots to make them hard.
At this time, people had not yet learned to add "temper" to pottery. Temper is material added to clay to make it stronger. It also helps prevent cracking or shrinking unevenly. Making pottery was a big step forward. It helped people store and cook food better. New cooking methods, like stewing, became possible for the first time.
When Did the Tchefuncte Culture Live?
In the history of ancient North America, the Tchefuncte culture came after the Poverty Point culture. Later, the Marksville culture followed the Tchefuncte culture.
