scholarly journals The Barkman Site (41BW693) in the Red River Valley in Northeast Texas

Author(s):  
Timothy Perttula ◽  
Rodney Nelson

The Barkman site (41BW693) is an ancestral Caddo settlement on a natural alluvial rise in the Red River floodplain in Bowie County, Texas (Figure 1). The rise is on the north side of Clear Lake, an old river channel and now an oxbow lake, about 140 meters northwest of the large platform mound at the Hatchel site (41BW3, see Perttula 2014, 2015, 2018). The Hatchel site is a major ancestral Caddo village and mound center on a natural levee deposit in the floodplain of the Red River in Bowie County, Texas, just a few kilometers west of the Arkansas state line, and on the south side of Clear Lake. The platform mound and the main part of the associated village overlooks two channel lakes of the river; these likely were part of the channel of the river when the site was occupied by the Caddo. The Hatchel site was occupied by the Caddo from at least A.D. 1040 to the late 17th century, and the Barkman site appears to have been occupied contemporaneously much of the time with this ancestral Caddo village and mound center.

Author(s):  
Jeffery S. Girard

A pit feature containing Tchefuncte-like pottery, a Gary point, and fauna) remains recently was investigated at the Swan Lake Site (168011) located near Willow Chute Bayou in the Red River floodplain of eastern Bossier Parish. Three charcoal samples from the pit yielded radiocarbon ages of 2020 + /-60 B. P., 1830+/-70 B.P., and 1690+/-80 B.P. making this the earliest well-dated context in northwestern Louisiana containing ceramics. The most conspicuous feature at the site is a mound, now approximately 2.5 m high and about 25 min diameter. Clarence Webb first recorded the site, but only made a short description: "Solitary mound on n-east shore of Swan Lake, which is an old Red River channel. Is circular in shape, approx. 8-10 ft. high, 60 ft. at the base and 20 ft. on summit. Has several shallow trial holes on top, appears to be built up of sand -- no sherds found on or around mound -- trial holes show mostly sandy soil near clay out in field. In one or two places 3 to 4 inches dark soil found. In nearby field, 1 rough spear head found." Since Webb's initial visit the landowners have collected numerous artifacts from the site surface. Most of the decorated pottery consists of Early to Middle Caddoan Period types suggesting that the mound is related to those at the nearby Vanceville (16807) and Werner (16808) sites. However, also present are a large number of Gary points and several sherds similar to those recovered from the Bellevue Site (16BO4) indicating that an earlier occupation is represented as well.


Author(s):  
Kyle L Horntvedt ◽  
Xinhua Jia ◽  
Thomas F Scherer ◽  
Dean D Steele ◽  
Thomas M DeSutter

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