Brentwood Library Site
Encyclopedia
The Brentwood Library Site (40 WM 210), also known as the Jarman Farm Site, is a Mississippian culture
archaeological site
located in the city of Brentwood
, in Williamson County
, Tennessee
. It was occupied during the Thurston Phase of the local chronology and artifacts from the site have been radiocarbon dated to 1298 to 1465 CE.
and a small spring-fed creek. The site was first mentioned by a Harvard Peabody Museum Expedition
in the 1880s, but the exact location was not mentioned. The site was forgotten about until construction for the new Brentwood library in 1997 uncovered a substantial village and associated burial area.
vessels and sherds found at the site were made with techniques and forms found across the Mississippian world. Common shapes include bowls with notched rim straps and jars with a direct rim. Strap handles were the only closed handle style found, although bifurcate and tabular lugs were sometimes attached. Some sherds were found to be fabric impressed and other examples used a technique known as negative painting, a technique which involved painting the background and allowing the natural buff or grey of the clay to create the positive image. Notable pottery classifications found were examples of Mound Place Incised, Matthews Incised var. Matthews, Manly Incised and Beckwith Incised, with Beckwith Incised being found in the largest numbers. A few pieces of effigy pottery were also found, mostly of zoomorphic figures such as fish, frogs, and ducks although some examples with anthropomorphic shapes were found. These humans effigies often depicted a standing woman with top-knots in her hair, a pronounced hunchback and ear spools Similar ceramic and stone statues are found throughout the Middle Tennessee area.
Mississippian culture
The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 CE to 1500 CE, varying regionally....
archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
located in the city of Brentwood
Brentwood, Tennessee
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,445 people, 7,693 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,889 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% European American, 1.89% African American,...
, in Williamson County
Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. It was occupied during the Thurston Phase of the local chronology and artifacts from the site have been radiocarbon dated to 1298 to 1465 CE.
Ecavations
The Brentwood Library Site is located on a low ridge next to the Harpeth RiverHarpeth River
The Harpeth River, long, is one of the major streams of north-central Middle Tennessee and one of the major tributaries of the Cumberland River...
and a small spring-fed creek. The site was first mentioned by a Harvard Peabody Museum Expedition
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
in the 1880s, but the exact location was not mentioned. The site was forgotten about until construction for the new Brentwood library in 1997 uncovered a substantial village and associated burial area.
Ceramics
Mississippian culture potteryMississippian culture pottery
Mississippian culture pottery is the ceramic tradition of the Mississippian culture found as artifacts in archaeological sites in the American Midwest and Southeast. It is often characterized by the adoption and use of riverine shell-tempering agents in the clay paste. Shell tempering is one of...
vessels and sherds found at the site were made with techniques and forms found across the Mississippian world. Common shapes include bowls with notched rim straps and jars with a direct rim. Strap handles were the only closed handle style found, although bifurcate and tabular lugs were sometimes attached. Some sherds were found to be fabric impressed and other examples used a technique known as negative painting, a technique which involved painting the background and allowing the natural buff or grey of the clay to create the positive image. Notable pottery classifications found were examples of Mound Place Incised, Matthews Incised var. Matthews, Manly Incised and Beckwith Incised, with Beckwith Incised being found in the largest numbers. A few pieces of effigy pottery were also found, mostly of zoomorphic figures such as fish, frogs, and ducks although some examples with anthropomorphic shapes were found. These humans effigies often depicted a standing woman with top-knots in her hair, a pronounced hunchback and ear spools Similar ceramic and stone statues are found throughout the Middle Tennessee area.
See also
- Fewkes Group Archaeological SiteFewkes Group Archaeological SiteFewkes Group Archaeological Site , also known as the Boiling Springs Site, is a prehistoric Native American archaeological site located in the city of Brentwood, in Williamson County, Tennessee. It is in Primm Historic Park on the grounds of Boiling Spring Academy, a historic schoolhouse...
(40 WM 1) - Old Town Archaeological Site (40 WM 2)
- List of Mississippian sites