A large, notched Mill Creek Chert hoe.
Pottery fragments (sherds).
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A large, notched Mill Creek Chert hoe. |
The archaeological record of material culture is largely a record of things
that are commonly preserved, pottery fragments, stone tools, and sometimes bone
and shell. Other physical objects, such as posts for structures, are not
preserved, but their former positions in the ground are revealed by subtle
changes in soil color and texture.
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| Other parts of technology are rarely preserved. Artifacts made of organic materials, such as animal skins and plant fibers, quickly degrade and are poorly represented in most archaeological sites. Like all aspects of the archaeological record, potential biases due to preservation need to be kept in mind when discussing technological aspects of Mississippian lifeways. |
