University of Kentucky
Round, Ground, and Stone: Identifying Morphological and Functional Variation Within Fort Ancient Groundstone Discoidals
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
A. Gwynn Henderson; David Pollack
Abstract
Fort Ancient is an archaeological culture in the middle Ohio Valley. These prehistoric peoples were village farmers who lived, worked, and thrived in the flatlands, rolling hills, and Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and Ohio. Among the bone tools, pottery sherds, arrowheads, and other remains archaeologists have recovered at former Fort Ancient village sites are stone discoidals. These round worked stone objects were made in a variety of shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. Some are decorated with engraved geometric design, and others have drilledthrough central holes. Archaeologists have hypothesized they were used as everything from netsinkers to "poker" chips. However, their age, function, and stylistic variability are unknown. This poster presents the results of an analysis of discoidals collected from several Kentucky Fort Ancient sites. Morphological differences observed in the artifacts are explained with reference to use, age, or regional manufacturing style. Regional variation in particular can denote important differences between communities/regions based on how the inhabitants were used their discoidals. Identifying, understanding, and accounting for the morphological differences in discoidals, with their widespread distribution and mysterious origins, allows researchers and archaeologists to better explain some of the habits and life-ways of these native Kentuckians.
Round, Ground, and Stone: Identifying Morphological and Functional Variation Within Fort Ancient Groundstone Discoidals
Fort Ancient is an archaeological culture in the middle Ohio Valley. These prehistoric peoples were village farmers who lived, worked, and thrived in the flatlands, rolling hills, and Appalachian foothills of Kentucky and Ohio. Among the bone tools, pottery sherds, arrowheads, and other remains archaeologists have recovered at former Fort Ancient village sites are stone discoidals. These round worked stone objects were made in a variety of shapes, sizes, and thicknesses. Some are decorated with engraved geometric design, and others have drilledthrough central holes. Archaeologists have hypothesized they were used as everything from netsinkers to "poker" chips. However, their age, function, and stylistic variability are unknown. This poster presents the results of an analysis of discoidals collected from several Kentucky Fort Ancient sites. Morphological differences observed in the artifacts are explained with reference to use, age, or regional manufacturing style. Regional variation in particular can denote important differences between communities/regions based on how the inhabitants were used their discoidals. Identifying, understanding, and accounting for the morphological differences in discoidals, with their widespread distribution and mysterious origins, allows researchers and archaeologists to better explain some of the habits and life-ways of these native Kentuckians.