Aztalan
The archeological site Aztalan is located south-southeast of the town of
the same name in what is now Jefferson County, Wisconsin. It is a prehistoric
Native American site of the Middle Mississippian era, radio-carbon dated at 900
to 700 BP. The site was discovered in 1836 and superficially surveyed in 1837
by N. F. Hyer. In 1850 a more complete survey was done by Dr. I. A. Lapham, but
he excavated very little. The most important excavation was begun in 1919 by
Dr. Samuel A. Barrett, who published his findings in the book Ancient
Aztalan in 1933. The site became a state park in Wisconsin in 1948, and
there has been a lot of work to restore parts of the site because much of the
top layer had been destroyed by cultivation.
According to Dr. Barrett, Aztalan is most closely affiliated with the
findings at the Cahokia site (Barrett, 1970, p.
370). Robert E. Ritzenthaler theorizes that the inhabitants of Aztalan migrated
directly from Cahokia to this site (Barrett, 1970, p. V). From Barrett's
evidence, he concluded that "cannibalism was practiced extensively" (Barrett,
1970, p. 363).
Aztalan was a village. It was enclosed by an earthworks ridge. Barrett
states that the site was not used as a ceremonial center, but as a town
surrounded by a stockade. This stockade was made of wooden posts and seems to
have been interrupted at intervals by gates and watchtowers. Inside the
stockade was the main village of circular and rectangular houses. Easily
defended, there must have been some fear of attack. There are large amounts of
lithics and ceramics, as well as large numbers of burial mounds and refuse
heaps in the area. Trading networks must have been widespread, because many
items were native to faraway areas.
Archeaological Findings
Lithics
There were hundreds of stone projectile points, notched and unnotched,
mostly unserrated. These had been fashioned from either quartzite, chert, or
quartz. Included in the specimens are knives, drills, chisels, spades, axes,
celts (ungrooved, edged stone tools), mauls, net sinkers, grinding stones,
pecking stones, sharpening stones, smoothing stones, pipes, and cooking stones,
along with others that have questionable uses. (Barrett, 1970, pp. 265-85)
Ceramics
"There can be little doubt that we have here two major types,
the pottery of at least two distinct cultural groups" (Barrett,
1970, p. 299). One characteristic type of pottery found at Aztalan is Lake
Michigan, which is circular-mouthed and grit-tempered. Another grit-tempered
type is the angular- mouthed Woodland pottery. The most common type of pottery
at Aztalan is Middle Mississippi, a shell-tempered pottery. There are also
transitional types. Barrett acknowledges that the earlier, grit-tempered types
were more characteristic of the northern early American cultures, while
Mississippian type was more directly related to Aztalan's cultural source of
the south.
Flora
There seem to be no direct evidence of plant remains, except for the use
of wood in structure building and firepits. When Aztalan had been used
originally, it was most likely situated between the extensive forests of the
east and the prairie of the west. It is also next to a river, and close to
several lakes. To the south there existed a marsh. Each of these environments
would have supplied Aztalan with their normal products of vegetable life,
including wild rice from the marsh. Very little actual evidence of flora was
found, except for "a few charred fruits, apparently choke-cherries, a few grass
or weed seeds, and a few squash seeds" were found to give any indication of
floral remains. (Barrett, 1970, p. 356) Barrett states that in all probability
nuts and berries were also consumed. (Barrett, 1970, p. 356)
Fauna
-----Bone Implements
Most of the tools made of bone were awls, and the animals from which
they came were largely unidentifiable. One bone object was used as an
arrow-head. One elk scapula was used as an ear spool.
-----Animal Remains
Animals used for food eventually found themselves in the garbage pits.
These have been identified as bird, bear, raccoon, buffalo, moose, deer,
squirrel, woodchuck, rabbit, wolf, turtle and fish.
-----Antler Implements
Both elk and deer antlers were used as tools, especially as projectile
points. Some of the tools show evidence of being used as rubbing or grinding
instruments. They were also used for chisels, but most items made of antler are
difficult to interpret.
-----Shells
The shells found at Aztalan were either used for decoration or as hoes.
Most of the decorative shells seems to have come from the Gulf of Mexico. Hoes
tend to be the shells of river mussels. Much of the other shell remains appear
to have been discarded after the contents had been consumed.
Source
Barret, S. A. Ancient Aztalzn. Introduction to the Greenwood reprint by
Rovert E. Ritzenthaler. Westport, Connecticut Greenwood Press. 1970.