2021 Fall Newsletter

As with the people of the Nebo Hill Phase, the size and construction of Hertha-Phase houses indicates possible stable or semi-stable occu pation. Hunting and gathering groups could still venture far from home but return to home much like modern day people go hunting for deer or go the lake for the weekend. The settlement pattern consisted of hamlets or homesteads of one or two houses each. Other features consist of small ba sin-shaped pits both within and outside of houses.

Photo Courtesy KSHS

Photo Courtesy KSHS

Drills

Hertha Phase The Hertha Phase existed during the Early Ce ramic Period and lasted from 550 BC to 1050 AD. Sites excavated at Hillsdale span the period from 565 BC to 775 AD.

During this period, the preferred method of hunt ing changed from using the Atlatl to usage of the bow and arrow. Hunting implements still included large lances and large cornered notched arrow points, but archaeological evidence suggests a preference for a smaller arrowhead on a wooden shaft. Blakeslee and Rohn (1986) suggest that small er arrowheads could travel deeper and do more damage to prey. Although many collectors incor rectly refer to small arrow points as “bird points” because of their size, North American Indians commonly used 2- to 4-centimeter points to dis patch large game, including bison. The technological advances observed during this period led to the development of larger commu nities. In turn, the larger population led to the de velopment of more complex political and religious beliefs. For example, archeologists have discov ered cemeteries located on surrounding hilltops during this timeframe.

The Early Ceramic Period defines just what is says. During this time, indigenous people began using pottery on a large-scale basis. People of the Nebo Hill Phase did create pottery vessels by shaping clay, although it was rare. During the Early Ceramic Period, the people of Kansas began to make cooking and storage containers. Some pots were shaped using large amounts of unfired clay, whereas other containers were formed from broad clay coils. During this pe riod, pottery was used for cooking large amounts of vegetation and animal meat. These consisted of thick grit tempered pottery with smooth sur faced and rough constricted orifice jars. They also included wavy rimmed vessels.

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