Tony Krus

University of South Dakota, Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty Member

Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology)+42

300 Followers 359 Following 12 Co-authors Total Views

Papers

Research in progress: Assessing marine radiocarbon reservoir effect variation in greater Utqiaġvik, Alaska

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Genetic Analysis of Birnirk Inuit from the Alaskan North Slope

ARCTIC, 2022

Archaeological evidence indicates that Birnirk peoples (AD 650 – 1300) are the proposed genetic a... more Archaeological evidence indicates that Birnirk peoples (AD 650 – 1300) are the proposed genetic ancestors of the Thule Inuit (AD 950 – 1400) and are potentially an intermediary population between the Thule Inuit and earlier Old Bering Sea people (AD 1 – 1000). We sequenced the first hypervariable region of the mitochondrial DNA of 22 clearly associated Birnirk individuals from the Piġniq (Birnirk), Kugok, Kugusugaruk, and Nunavak sites on the North Slope of Alaska. Haplotypes A2a, A2a1, A2a3, A2b1, and D4b1a2a1a were identified in this population, demonstrating an expansion of Birnirk maternal genetic diversity. Maternal lineages from these individuals were evaluated with other past and contemporary Inuit populations from the Chukotka Peninsula to eastern Greenland. Our findings confirm Birnirk Inuit as probable maternal ancestors to Thule Inuit and may be among the first peoples possessing these lineages to have moved into the western North American Arctic from the Bering Strait re...

Iron Age and Romano-British Occupation at Craven Arms Enclosure B, Shropshire: Investigations in 2013

The investigations at Craven Arms B exposed the north-western corner and a length of the northern... more The investigations at Craven Arms B exposed the north-western corner and a length of the northern ditches for a square enclosure, associated with external activity which spanned approximately 200 years. A double-ditched enclosure, external oven and V-shaped ditch for a timber stockade are interpreted as representing the first phase of activity, dating to late prehistoric times. During the first century AD the outer enclosure ditch was recut, and subsequent activity during the first to second centuries was evidenced by infill of the enclosure ditch, two corn-drying ovens, two possible timber structures, a ditch and a pit. The alignment and regularity of these features indicate a planned element to the site. Activity continued in the second to third centuries with a remodelling of the outer enclosure ditch, gullies indicating a fence line (possibly a parallel enclosure) and compacted surfaces around the entrance, other ditch features and decommissioning of the ovens and structures. Th...

Rethinking the Estero Island Site: A possible satellite village of Mound Key

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2020

Abstract Dating sediments from island and coastal archaeological sites can prove challenging due ... more Abstract Dating sediments from island and coastal archaeological sites can prove challenging due to numerous factors. New information on the natural habitats and geochemistry of marine mollusks, as well as Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates, can help archaeologists generate new interpretations, not just for newly investigated sites, but also for older collections and datasets. Using the Estero Island Site, a large shell midden mound in southwest Florida, as a case study, we show that these new techniques and perspectives can add value to previously excavated collections. Specifically, our reinterpretation of the dates suggests that this site was occupied more recently than previously posited and that it may have played a larger role than formerly thought in the regional development of Calusa political complexity.

Chronology of a Fortified Mississippian Village in the Central Illinois River Valley

Radiocarbon, 2019

ABSTRACTGeophysical survey and excavations from 2010–2016 at Lawrenz Gun Club (11CS4), a late pre... more ABSTRACTGeophysical survey and excavations from 2010–2016 at Lawrenz Gun Club (11CS4), a late pre-Columbian village located in the central Illinois River valley in Illinois, identified 10 mounds, a central plaza, and dozens of structures enclosed within a stout 10 hectare bastioned palisade. Nineteen radiocarbon (14C) measurements were taken from single entities of wood charcoal, short-lived plants, and animal bones. A site chronology has been constructed using a Bayesian approach that considers the stratigraphic contexts and feature formation processes. The village was host to hundreds of years of continuous human activity during the Mississippi Period. Mississippian activity at the site is estimated to have begun in cal AD 990–1165 (95% probability), ended in cal AD 1295–1450 (95% probability), and lasted 150–420 yr (95% probability) in the primary Bayesian model with similar results obtained in two alternative models. The palisade is estimated to have been constructed in cal AD 1...

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A Context-Appropriate Approach to Marine 14C Calibration: Δr and Bayesian Framework for the Nuvuk Cemetery, Point Barrow, Alaska

Radiocarbon, 2019

ABSTRACTThis study provides an assessment of the temporal changes in ΔR, which is the local devia... more ABSTRACTThis study provides an assessment of the temporal changes in ΔR, which is the local deviation from the global surface water marine reservoir effect (MRE), in the Point Barrow area of the Alaskan Arctic, a coastal archaeological area that has experienced severe erosion accelerated by global warming. A total of 26 samples were submitted for radiocarbon (14C) dating from eight secure Thule (AD 1000–1750) archaeological contexts, and specifically from archaeological features with paired processed seal and caribou bones that had been frozen in situ. This new approach towards ΔR estimation provides a best-fit local correction for the 14C dating of human populations by focusing on the marine mammal (seals) predominantly consumed by the Thule (Coltrain et al. 2016). The weighted-mean ΔR value on these pairs is 450 ± 84 yr, which is about 50 years less than the weighted-mean (506 ± 69 yr) for the Point Barrow area calculated through 14C measurements from four known-age bivalves colle...

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The Mississippian Fin De Siècle in the Middle Cumberland Region of Tennessee

American Antiquity, 2018

Bayesian chronological modeling is used to investigate the chronology for a large-scale human dep... more Bayesian chronological modeling is used to investigate the chronology for a large-scale human depopulation event during the Mississippian period (AD 1000–1600) known as the Vacant Quarter phenomenon. The Middle Cumberland region (MCR) of Tennessee is within the Vacant Quarter area, and six villages from the final phase of Mississippian activity in the MCR have been subjected to radiocarbon dating. Complete radiocarbon datasets from these sites are presented within an interpretative Bayesian statistical framework. The results provide a unique history of each settlement and demonstrate that Mississippian occupations at each site likely terminated in the mid- to late fifteenth and possibly early sixteenth centuries AD, which is 50 to 100 years later than the most recent estimate for the timing of the Vacant Quarter. Mississippian abandonment in the MCR was relatively quick, likely occurring over less than a century. The exact reasons for abandonment are not entirely clear but appear to...

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The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast

American Antiquity, 2016

Bayesian chronological modeling is used to investigate the chronology of bastioned palisades duri... more Bayesian chronological modeling is used to investigate the chronology of bastioned palisades during the precolumbian period in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Nine precolumbian settlements in the Midwest and Southeast with bastioned palisades have been subject to scientific dating (Angel Mounds, Annis Village, Aztalan, Cahokia Mounds, Etowah, Kincaid Mounds, Jonathan Creek, Moundville, and Southwind). Complete radiocarbon datasets from these sites are presented within an interpretative Bayesian statistical framework. The results provide a glimpse into the history of Mississippi period (A.D. 1000–1700) fortifications with bastions and indicate that the analyzed fortifications were built and maintained predominantly in A.D. 1200–1400. This finding suggests a greater institutionalized role for defense and warfare in post-A.D. 1200 Mississippian societies. Additionally, modeling results further indicate that the investigated Mississippian centers continued to maintain for...

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Bayesian Modeling of an Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Radiocarbon, 2016

Excavations from 2009–2010 in Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland, encountered a burial site with se... more Excavations from 2009–2010 in Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland, encountered a burial site with seven cists, pits containing cremation burials, a kerbed cairn, and a small stone and post circle. Twenty-one radiocarbon measurements were taken from single entities of wood charcoal, carbonized residue on pottery, and cremated human bone. A site chronology has been constructed using a Bayesian approach that considers the stratigraphic contexts and feature formation processes. The site was host to thousands of years of discontinuous human activity beginning with little understood Mesolithic and Neolithic components. Modeling estimates that mortuary activity at the site began in the Early Bronze Age in 2220–1985 cal BC (95% probability) and to have ended in 1880–1660 cal BC (95% probability). The span of activity during this burial component is estimated to be 140–520 yr (95% probability) in the primary Bayesian model and 50–470 yr (95% probability) in an alternative model. These modeling ...

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Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, a Fort Ancient Village in Dayton, Ohio

Radiocarbon, 2015

Radiocarbon results from houses, pits, and burials at the SunWatch site, Dayton, Ohio, are presen... more Radiocarbon results from houses, pits, and burials at the SunWatch site, Dayton, Ohio, are presented within an interpretative Bayesian statistical framework. The primary model incorporates dates from archaeological features in an unordered phase and uses charcoal outlier modeling (Bronk Ramsey 2009b) to account for issues of wood charcoal 14C dates predating their context. The results of the primary model estimate occupation lasted for 1–245 yr (95% probability), starting in cal AD 1175–1385 (95% probability) and ending in cal AD 1330–1470 (95% probability). An alternative model was created by placing the 14C dates into two unordered phases corresponding with horizontal stratigraphic relationships or distinct groups of artifacts thought to be temporally diagnostic. The results of the alternative model further suggest that there is some temporal separation between Group 1 and Group 2, which seems more likely in the event of a multicomponent occupation. Overall, the modeling results p...

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A chronology for warfare in the Mississippian Period (AD 1000-1500)

Bridging History and Prehistory: The Possible Antiquity of a Native American Ballgame

Native South, 2011

... 1. See Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Massacre at Camp Grant (Tucson: University of Arizona Press... more

Mound Construction Chronology at Angel Mounds Episodic Mound Construction and Ceremonial Events

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2013

ABSTRACT

Estimation of WPA Artifact Collection Bias in the East Village at Angel Mounds

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2013

Abstract The East Village is a densely occupied area spanning 5,700 m2 on the eastern edge of Ang... more Abstract The East Village is a densely occupied area spanning 5,700 m2 on the eastern edge of Angel Mounds. The Works Project Administration (WPA) conducted excavations at the East Village from 1939 through 1942. In 2010, the northern boundary of the WPA East Village excavations was relocated, and artifacts were discovered in the excavation backfill. To estimate artifact collection bias during the WPA excavations at Angel Mounds, a sample of backfill was screened and the number and type of artifacts were identified and recorded. From this analysis, it appears that approximately 80 percent of pottery sherds and flakes discovered during WPA-era excavations at Angel Mounds were collected for curation.

Refortifying Cahokia, More Efficient Palisade Construction through Redesigned Bastions

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2011

Abstract The number of posts in the initial and subsequent construction of Cahokia's Central ... more Abstract The number of posts in the initial and subsequent construction of Cahokia's Central Palisade was recalculated using new measurements of the postholes, bastions, and changes in the perimeter of the palisade that resulted from its multiple reconstructions. Application of this recalculation indicates that each construction of the palisade may have used fewer posts than previously estimated. These data also suggest that both the number of posts needed for construction and the number of person-hours needed for construction decreased between 22.5 to 27.5 percent from its second to its final construction episodes, and that the Central Palisade always used wood more efficiently each time it was reconstructed. This may reflect a conscious attempt by Cahokians to conserve wood resources through changing the Central Palisade's architecture.

Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South

Ethnohistory, 2010

... Edited and translated by Corinna Dally-Starna and William A. Starna. (2 vols., Lincoln: Unive... more

The Myths and Realities of Bayesian Chronological Modeling Revealed

American Antiquity, 2017

We review the history of Bayesian chronological modeling in archaeology and demonstrate that ther... more We review the history of Bayesian chronological modeling in archaeology and demonstrate that there has been a surge over the past several years in American archaeological applications. Most of these applications have been performed by archaeologists who are self-taught in this method because formal training opportunities in Bayesian chronological modeling are infrequently provided. We define and address misconceptions about Bayesian chronological modeling that we have encountered in conversations with colleagues and in anonymous reviews, some of which have been expressed in the published literature. Objectivity and scientific rigor is inherent in the Bayesian chronological modeling process. Each stage of this process is described in detail, and we present examples of this process in practice. Our concluding discussion focuses on the potential that Bayesian chronological modeling has for enhancing understandings of important topics.

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Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modelling of Cults Loch 3, 4 and 5

by Tony Krus and Derek Hamilton

A Lake Dwelling in its Landscape

Dating and chronology

Beside the Ocean

Chronology for Mississippian and Oneota Occupations at Aztalan and the Lake Koshkonong Locality

by Tony Krus and Robert Jeske

American Antiquity

The Middle Mississippian component at Aztalan was a mixed, Late Woodland / Mississippian occupati... more The Middle Mississippian component at Aztalan was a mixed, Late Woodland / Mississippian occupation sited within a heavily fortified habitation and mound center that is located on a tributary of the Rock River in Wisconsin. It represents the northernmost large Cahokian-related village recorded. The Oneota Lake Koshkonong Locality of the Rock River drainage is located approximately 20 km south of Aztalan, and it consists of a 25 km2 area along the northwest shore with a small cluster of habitation settlements. Sixty-eight radiocarbon measurements have been obtained from Aztalan, and 52 from Oneota settlements in the Lake Koshkonong Locality. We discuss how to best interpret this dataset, and we use Bayesian chronological modeling to analyze these dates. The results suggest that (1) Aztalan's Late Woodland (Kekoskee phase) occupation began in the AD 900s or early AD 1000s, (2) Aztalan's Mississippian occupation ceased in the AD 1200s, (3) Oneota occupations at Lake Koshkonong ...

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Research in progress: Assessing marine radiocarbon reservoir effect variation in greater Utqiaġvik, Alaska

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Genetic Analysis of Birnirk Inuit from the Alaskan North Slope

ARCTIC, 2022

Iron Age and Romano-British Occupation at Craven Arms Enclosure B, Shropshire: Investigations in 2013

Rethinking the Estero Island Site: A possible satellite village of Mound Key

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2020

Chronology of a Fortified Mississippian Village in the Central Illinois River Valley

Radiocarbon, 2019

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A Context-Appropriate Approach to Marine 14C Calibration: Δr and Bayesian Framework for the Nuvuk Cemetery, Point Barrow, Alaska

Radiocarbon, 2019

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The Mississippian Fin De Siècle in the Middle Cumberland Region of Tennessee

American Antiquity, 2018

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The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast

American Antiquity, 2016

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Bayesian Modeling of an Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Radiocarbon, 2016

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Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, a Fort Ancient Village in Dayton, Ohio

Radiocarbon, 2015

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A chronology for warfare in the Mississippian Period (AD 1000-1500)

Bridging History and Prehistory: The Possible Antiquity of a Native American Ballgame

Native South, 2011

... 1. See Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Massacre at Camp Grant (Tucson: University of Arizona Press... more

Mound Construction Chronology at Angel Mounds Episodic Mound Construction and Ceremonial Events

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2013

ABSTRACT

Estimation of WPA Artifact Collection Bias in the East Village at Angel Mounds

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2013

Refortifying Cahokia, More Efficient Palisade Construction through Redesigned Bastions

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2011

Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South

Ethnohistory, 2010

... Edited and translated by Corinna Dally-Starna and William A. Starna. (2 vols., Lincoln: Unive... more

The Myths and Realities of Bayesian Chronological Modeling Revealed

American Antiquity, 2017

Download

Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian modelling of Cults Loch 3, 4 and 5

by Tony Krus and Derek Hamilton

A Lake Dwelling in its Landscape

Dating and chronology

Beside the Ocean

Chronology for Mississippian and Oneota Occupations at Aztalan and the Lake Koshkonong Locality

by Tony Krus and Robert Jeske

American Antiquity

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The complexities of dating island and coastal settlements

by Tony Krus and Victor Thompson

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 2019

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A CONTEXT-APPROPRIATE APPROACH TO MARINE 14C CALIBRATION: ΔR AND BAYESIAN FRAMEWORK FOR THE NUVUK CEMETERY, POINT BARROW, ALASKA

by Tony Krus, Anne M Jensen, Derek Hamilton, and Kerry Sayle

Radiocarbon, 2019

This study provides an assessment of the temporal changes in ∆R, which is the local deviation fro... more This study provides an assessment of the temporal changes in ∆R, which is the local deviation from the global surface water marine reservoir effect (MRE), in the Point Barrow area of the Alaskan Arctic, a coastal archaeological area that has experienced severe erosion accelerated by global warming. A total of 26 samples were submitted for radiocarbon (14 C) dating from eight secure Thule (AD 1000-1750) archaeological contexts, and specifically from archaeological features with paired processed seal and caribou bones that had been frozen in situ. This new approach towards ∆R estimation provides a best-fit local correction for the 14 C dating of human populations by focusing on the marine mammal (seals) predominantly consumed by the Thule (Coltrain et al. 2016). The weighted-mean ∆R value on these pairs is 450 ± 84 yr, which is about 50 years less than the weighted-mean (506 ± 69 yr) for the Point Barrow area calculated through 14 C measurements from four known-age bivalves collected in AD 1913 (McNeely et al. 2006). The effects of using this new ∆R value for calibration was assessed through the Bayesian chronological modeling of 54 14 C measurements from samples of human skeletons interred in the Nuvuk cemetery at Point Barrow, the largest ancient cemetery in northwest Alaska and traditionally thought to date to the Thule and earlier Birnirk (AD 500-1000) periods.

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CHRONOLOGY OF A FORTIFIED MISSISSIPPIAN VILLAGE IN THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY

by Tony Krus, Edward Herrmann, and Jeremy Wilson

Radiocarbon, 2019

Geophysical survey and excavations from 2010-2016 at Lawrenz Gun Club (11CS4), a late pre-Columbi... more Geophysical survey and excavations from 2010-2016 at Lawrenz Gun Club (11CS4), a late pre-Columbian village located in the central Illinois River valley in Illinois, identified 10 mounds, a central plaza, and dozens of structures enclosed within a stout 10 hectare bastioned palisade. Nineteen radiocarbon (14 C) measurements were taken from single entities of wood charcoal, short-lived plants, and animal bones. A site chronology has been constructed using a Bayesian approach that considers the stratigraphic contexts and feature formation processes. The village was host to hundreds of years of continuous human activity during the Mississippi Period. Mississippian activity at the site is estimated to have begun in cal AD 990-1165 (95% probability), ended in cal AD 1295-1450 (95% probability), and lasted 150-420 yr (95% probability) in the primary Bayesian model with similar results obtained in two alternative models. The palisade is estimated to have been constructed in cal AD 1150-1230 (95% probability) and was continuously repaired and rebuilt for 15-125 yr (95% probability), probably for 40-85 yr (68% probability). Comparison to other studies demonstrates that the bastioned palisade at Lawrenz was one of the earliest constructed in the midcontinental United States.

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THE MISSISSIPPIAN FIN DE SIÈCLE IN THE MIDDLE CUMBERLAND REGION OF TENNESSEE

American Antiquity, 2018

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BAYESIAN MODELING OF AN EARLY BRONZE AGE CEMETERY AT ARMADALE, ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND

by Tony Krus and Mary Peteranna

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THE LEGACY OF LILLY, BLACK, AND THE WPA AT ANGEL MOUNDS NEAR EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

by Tony Krus and Charla Marshall

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The Myths and Realities of Bayesian Chronological Modeling Revealed

by Derek Hamilton and Tony Krus

American Antiquity

We review the history of Bayesian chronological modeling in archaeology and demonstrate that ther... more We review the history of Bayesian chronological modeling in archaeology and demonstrate that there has been a surge over the past several years in American archaeological applications. Most of these applications have been performed by archaeologists that are self-taught in this method because formal training opportunities in Bayesian chronological modeling are infrequently provided. We define and address misconceptions about Bayesian chronological modeling that we have encountered in conversations with colleagues and in anonymous reviews, some of which has been expressed in the published literature. Objectivity and scientific rigor is inherent in the Bayesian chronological modeling process. Each stage of this process is described in detail and we present examples of this process in practice. Our concluding discussion focuses on the potential Bayesian chronological modeling has for enhancing understandings of important topics.

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Southeastern Archaeology Contemplating the history and future of radiocarbon dating in the American Southeast

by Victor Thompson and Tony Krus

We consider the history, present, and future of radiocarbon dating in the American Southeast. We ... more We consider the history, present, and future of radiocarbon dating in the American Southeast. We point out some of the past and present flaws related to archaeological research and dating. Our approach to this review is rooted in the perspective that each radiocarbon date collectively adds to our knowledge of the region and not just a particular site. Based on our observations, we suggest some “good” practices with respect to certain aspects of radiocarbon dating. Our concluding discussion considers Bayesian chronological analysis and the growing contribution of chronological modeling to the Southeast.

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The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast

Krus, Anthony M. 2016 The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeas... more Krus, Anthony M.
2016 The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast. American Antiquity 81(2):375-388.

Bayesian chronological modeling is used to investigate the chronology of bastioned palisades during the precolumbian period in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Nine precolumbian settlements in the Midwest and Southeast with bastioned palisades have been subject to scientific dating (Angel Mounds, Annis Village, Aztalan, Cahokia Mounds, Etowah, Kincaid Mounds, Jonathan Creek, Moundville, and Southwind). Complete radiocarbon datasets from these sites are presented within an interpretative Bayesian statistical framework. The results provide a glimpse into the history of Mississippi period (A.D. 1000–1700) fortifications with bastions and indicate that the analyzed fortifications were built and maintained predominantly in A.D. 1200–1400. This finding suggests a greater institutionalized role for defense and warfare in post-A.D. 1200 Mississippian societies. Additionally, modeling results further indicate that the investigated Mississippian centers continued to maintain fortifications for generations after their construction.

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Bayesian Modeling of an Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland

by Mary Peteranna and Tony Krus

Krus AM, Peteranna M. 2016. Bayesian Modeling of an Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Armadale, Isle o... more Krus AM, Peteranna M. 2016. Bayesian Modeling of an Early Bronze Age Cemetery at Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Radiocarbon CJO2016 doi:10.1017/RDC.2016.21

Excavations from 2009–2010 in Armadale, Isle of Skye, Scotland, encountered a burial site with seven cists, pits containing cremation burials, a kerbed cairn, and a small stone and post circle. Twenty-one radiocarbon measurements were taken from single entities of wood charcoal, carbonized residue on pottery, and cremated human bone. A site chronology has been constructed using a Bayesian approach that considers the stratigraphic contexts and feature formation processes. The site was host to thousands of years of discontinuous human activity beginning with little understood Mesolithic and Neolithic components. Modeling estimates that mortuary activity at the site began in the Early Bronze Age in 2220–1985 cal BC (95% probability) and to have ended in 1880–1660 cal BC (95% probability). The span of activity during this burial component is estimated to be 140–520 yr (95% probability) in the primary Bayesian model and 50–470 yr (95% probability) in an alternative model. These modeling results demonstrate that human burial at Armadale was an infrequent event and further suggest that the memory of the location and social role of Armadale as a burial ground persisted throughout much of the Early Bronze Age.

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Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, a Fort Ancient Village in Dayton, Ohio

by Tony Krus and Derek Hamilton

Krus AM, Cook R, Hamilton D. 2015. Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, a Fort Ancient Vi... more Krus AM, Cook R, Hamilton D. 2015. Bayesian Chronological Modeling of SunWatch, a Fort Ancient Village in Dayton, Ohio. Radiocarbon 57(5):965-977.

Radiocarbon results from houses, pits, and burials at the SunWatch site, Dayton, Ohio, are presented within an interpretative Bayesian statistical framework. The primary model incorporates dates from archaeological features in an unordered phase and uses charcoal outlier modeling (Bronk Ramsey 2009b) to account for issues of wood charcoal 14C dates predating their context. The results of the primary model estimate occupation lasted for 1–245 yr (95% probability), starting in cal AD 1175–1385 (95% probability) and ending in cal AD 1330–1470 (95% probability). An alternative model was created by placing the 14C dates into two unordered phases corresponding with horizontal stratigraphic relationships or distinct groups of artifacts thought to be temporally diagnostic. The results of the alternative model further suggest that there is some temporal separation between Group 1 and Group 2, which seems more likely in the event of a multicomponent occupation. Overall, the modeling results provide chronology estimates for SunWatch that are more accurate and precise than that provided in earlier studies. While it is difficult to determine with certainty if SunWatch had a single-component or multicomponent occupation, it is clear that SunWatch’s occupation lasted until the second half of the AD 1300s.

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BAYESIAN MODELING OF THE OCCUPATION SPAN OF THE AVERBUCH SITE IN THE MIDDLE CUMBERLAND DRAINAGE, TENNESSEE

Southeastern Archaeology, 2015

C Cobb, A M Krus, D W Steadman. 2015. Bayesian modeling of the occupation span of the Averbuch si... more C Cobb, A M Krus, D W Steadman. 2015. Bayesian modeling of the occupation span of the Averbuch site in the Middle Cumberland Drainage, Tennessee. Southeastern Archaeology, 34 (1):46-56.

The application of Bayesian models to suites of radiocarbon dates can provide important refinements over standard approaches toward calibration and seriation of dated feature contexts. We have modeled a number of older radiocarbon dates submitted in the 1980s along with a recent set of accelerator mass spectrometry dates from the Averbuch site (40DV60), a Mississippian village in the Middle Cumberland Region of Tennessee occupied in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries A.D. The results of these analyses demonstrate that even within its short lifespan of ca. 200 years, the village underwent fundamental organizational changes. These shifts appear to be responses to climatic deterioration and an upsurge in regional violence.

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Mound Construction Chronology at Angel Mounds: Episodic Mound Construction and Ceremonial Events

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Estimation of WPA Artifact Collection Bias in the East Village at Angel Mounds

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The Timing of Angel Mounds Palisade Construction: A Search for the Best Chronological Model

by Tony Krus and Timothy Schilling

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Introduction to the Angel Mounds Issue

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Refortifying Cahokia: More Efficient Palisade Construction through Redesigned Bastions

Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, 2011

The number of posts in the initial and subsequent construction of Cahokia’s Central Palisade was ... more The number of posts in the initial and subsequent construction of Cahokia’s Central Palisade was recalculated using new measurements of the postholes, bastions, and changes in the perimeter of the palisade that resulted from its reconstructions. Application of this recalculation indicates that constructions of the palisade may have used fewer posts than previously estimated. These data also suggest that both the number of posts needed for construction and the number of person-hours needed for construction decreased between 22.5 to 27.5 percent from its second to its final construction episodes, and that the Central Palisade always used wood more efficiently after it was reconstructed. This may reflect a conscious attempt by Cahokians to conserve wood resources through changing the Central Palisade’s architecture.

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Bridging History and Prehistory: The Possible Antiquity of a Native American Ballgame

Native South, 2011

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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: The Timing of Precolumbian Militarization in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast

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Review of 'Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South'.

American Antiquity, 2010

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Review of 'Cultural Resources Archaeology: An Introduction, Second Edition'

Southeastern Archaeology, 2011

A Chronology for Warfare in the Mississippian Period (AD 1000-1500)

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Rethinking the Estero Island Site: A possible satellite village of Mound Key

by William Marquardt and Tony Krus

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2020

Dating sediments from island and coastal archaeological sites can prove challenging due to numero... more Dating sediments from island and coastal archaeological sites can prove challenging due to numerous factors. New information on the natural habitats and geochemistry of marine mollusks, as well as Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates, can help archaeologists generate new interpretations, not just for newly investigated sites, but also for older collections and datasets. Using the Estero Island Site, a large shell midden mound in southwest Florida, as a case study, we show that these new techniques and perspectives can add value to previously excavated collections. Specifically, our reinterpretation of the dates suggests that this site was occupied more recently than previously posited and that it may have played a larger role than formerly thought in the regional development of Calusa political complexity.

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