Archaeology & the Native Peoples of Tennessee
PALEOINDIAN PERIOD - 10,000+ to 8000 BC
The First Tennesseans
This scene is based upon the excavations at the Coats-Hines site in Williamson County, Tennessee, where two mastodon skeletons were found; close examination of the bones revealed that one showed clear cut marks -- evidence of the association of humans with this now extinct Ice-Age elephant. Radiocarbon dates place this event in what archaeologists call the Paleoindian Period, around 12,000 years ago.
In the foreground, men are repairing and remounting stone spearpoints onto foreshafts that tip the spears used in hunting. In the background, a mastodon is being butchered in the marshy area where it perhaps had been trapped. The meat is being processed for both consumption and drying for future use.
STONE TOOL MANUFACTURE
Tools and chipping debris recreate the archaeological remains of stone tool manufacture. They are exhibited in a glass-covered floor case.
PALEOINDIAN PROJECTILE POINTS
The chert points that tipped the spears, darts, and arrows of the Indians of Tennessee are called projectile points by archaeologists. Over the millennia, projectile point styles changed (like skirt lengths, tie widths, and car fins) and, because years of excavations have enabled archaeologists to date the contexts of these distinctive points, they can be used as "cultural identifiers" and "time markers." The many types of projectile points from Tennessee can be seen in the exhibit.
MASTODON REMAINS
Excavation of 12,000-year-old mastodon (an extinct elephant) remains in Williamson County, Tennessee. One of the bones showed cut marks suggesting butchering by Paleoindians.
