Preliminary Report on an Archeological Survey of Stormy Point

This is a report on an archaeological survey of the point of land that extends south into Caddo Lake opposite Mooringsport, Louisiana. The nineteenth century name for this area was Stormy Point, and the area into which Stormy Point extends was called Ferry Lake in 1839. The primary purpose of the survey was to find eighteenth century and early nineteenth century Caddo Indian sites, with the focal point of the survey being the thirty acre southwest tip of the point; other areas were looked at but not thoroughly investigated. Prehistoric Indian and early Anglo-American sites found while surveying for the Historic Caddo sites will also be reported

Chipped Glass, Ceramics, and Axe Handles

This is a brief paper on chipped glass and Euro-American ceramics found on Historic Indian sites in the ARK-LA-TEX region. These tools have long puzzled archaeologists as to their use, and still do to some extent today; hopefully this paper will clarify matters. Chipped and pressure-flaked glass was probably used differently from chipped ceramic tools, since the latter were softer and not as sharp as the bottle glass. As most of the chipped tools found were made of glass, this paper will deal primarily with them

Preliminary Report on the James Bayou Survey: A Search for Sha-Childni-Ni (1795-1840)

This is a preliminary report on an archaeological survey of the James Bayou area of Marion County, Texas that started in February, 1998 and is still continuing. The primary goal of the survey was to find the location of the large 1795-1840 Caddo Indian village called by them Sha-Childn-Ni (Timber Hill). Historical research and two early maps of 1811 and 1841 clearly show the village on the south side of James Bayou. The sites found prove that both maps are right. This is a report on Sites 2 and 3 of the four sites found to date. [Ed note: A fifth site has been found since this report was completed J When the survey is complete, all sites found will be plotted on a map so that we can see Sha-Childn-Ni emerge from the hills and woods along both sides of James Bayou. Thereby, the site of the last Caddo Indian village in their native homeland will be preserved for all to see and appreciate. If this survey can contribute to Caddo heritage in this way, it will have accomplished its purpose

An Intermediate Report on the James Bayou Survey, Marion County, Texas: A Search for Caddo Village

This is a brief report on an archeological survey of James Bayou in East Texas that was organized to find the site of a large Historic Caddo Indian village that was reported to be in the area. Much is known about the village people. They were Kadohadacho Caddo from the Great Bend region of the Red River in Southwest Arkansas who had migrated to the area now known as James Bayou about 1800. The population of the village they established was reported to be near 500 people, and they stayed in the East Texas and Northwest Louisiana area into the early 1840s. However, none of the early contemporary writers who provide this information reported the exact location of the village, and thus the site\u27s location was unknown when the survey was initiated. As of this report, we have surveyed both sides of James Bayou from the Louisiana line to near Stratford Lake. This was our target area since the lower Louisiana part of the Bayou had been surveyed in 1986-1987 under my direction by Shreveport members of the Louisiana Archaeological Society. In all of this vast area the only sites found on both surveys old enough to be components of the Caddo village were in a four mile area along the 200-250 foot contour on the north and east sides of James Bayou. The ten sites found and tested seemed to have a date range of 1790 to, the 1840s, which is the same as the occupation range of the Caddo village. These sites could well be components of the village since no records that we can find report anyone else in that part of Spanish East Texas through the entire period

Archaeological Investigations Along James Bayou in Marion County, Texas and Caddo Parish, Louisiana

This is a report on archaeological investigations conducted along James Bayou in Marion County, Texas, and Caddo Parish, Louisiana, between 1991- 1993. This work was done primarily by Claude McCrocklin (Shreveport, Louisiana) and a large group of volunteers, some from the Northeast Texas Archeological Society and others from the Northwest Chapter of the Louisiana Archaeological Society, assisted by Perttula and Nelson on occasion. With the permission of McCrocklin, we analyzed the recovered artifacts and available notes/records/ site reports to prepare this article summarizing the archaeological findings of the project. James Bayou, also known as Coushatta Jim’s Bayou, Jim’s Bayou, and Jeems Bayou, is an eastward and southward-flowing tributary to Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake. “On an upper portion of this bayou there was a small, deep lake formed by stream scour between bluffs that later came to be known as Monterey Lake. Before the 1800s, this was the only permanent lake in the region. Caddo Lake at its maximum extent may have reached elevations (although fluctuating) between 173-180 feet amsl, based on historic maps, studies of lacustrine deposits on the lake bed, and relict shorelines. The main purpose of the archaeological investigations was to identify the location or locations of the early 19th century Caddo Indian village known to have been situated in the vicinity of James Bayou, at the upper end of what was then Caddo Lake. The archaeological investigations reported on herein began in the Monterey Lake area of James Bayou. During the course of these archaeological investigations, a number of archaeological sites were located along James Bayou, and the findings from these sites are discussed below. “Several possible components of the [Caddo] village were located, but for one reason or another, no conclusive identifications could be made. McCrocklin, however, continued to periodically conduct archaeological survey and metal detecting investigations along James Bayou, and in 1998, he located several areas of an early 19th century Caddo archaeological site (41MR211) on the south side of James Bayou. The location and character of this site is consistent with the historical and archival sources concerning the James Bayou Caddo village, that being “on a bayou or creek… which is navigable for pirogues only, within about six miles of their village, and that only in the rainy season. This site in the recent archaeological literature has been identifi ed as the site of Timber Hill or Sha’chahdinnih, although other locations for that village south of Caddo Lake have been proposed by Tiller. The Texas Historical Commission conducted excavations at one area (Area 3) of 41MR211 in 1999