Sophia Dent - Ivy Knoll (1MT9) Archaeology: A Glimpse into the Trade Networks of the Archaic - Woodland Transition

Located along the Tallapoosa River in Montgomery County, Alabama, site 1MT9 (Fig. 1) was excavated from 1974 to 1976 by David W. Chase. Analysis of artifacts recovered from the site reveal a continuous occupancy from the Late Archaic to Early Woodland Transitional period (2500BC – 1 AD).
 
A significant element of the Ivy Knoll site is a concentration of ten burial features.  Excavated from one of these burials was a string of sixteen copper beads (Fig. 2 & 3).  Current research interests are focused on determining the source location of the copper using X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. 
 
As copper maintains the unique trace element composition of its parent geologic deposit, determining source location of artifacts is possible.  Source location has the potential to provide valuable information regarding the site’s position in a regional trade network.
 
Sophia Dent is a senior anthropology and biology double major from Southern Maryland.  At Lehigh, she is a founding member of Zeta Tau Alpha, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a nutrition intern with Lehigh Dining Services. Post-graduation, she is headed to the University of North Carolina to study biological anthropology.