| Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter | |
|---|---|
 Overview of Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter illustrating trench and block excavation | |
| Official name | Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter (1Ct125) |
| Designated | June 18, 2015[1] |
TheStanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter, located on private property inColbert County in northwesternAlabama,United States, is one of the most importantprehistoric sitesexcavated in the state due to the archeological evidence deposited by thePaleo-Indians who once occupied therock shelter.[2] Lying in Sanderson Cove along atributary of Cane Creek approximately seven miles (11 km) south of theTennessee Valley, the shelter and the highbluffs of the surrounding valley provided a well-protected environment for theNative American occupants.
According toThe Earliest Americans Theme Study for the Eastern United States, Stanfield-Worley Rock Shelter is considered a strong candidate forNational Historic Landmark status.[3]
Based on archeological evidence, the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter was occupied from thePaleoindian Period to theMississippian period. The well-preservedstratigraphic zones provide insights into the evolution of prehistoric societies in northern Alabama over a period of nine millennia.[2]
The Dalton zone, shown as Zone D in the photograph of the stratigraphic zones, represents a transitional Paleo-Indian culture of Alabama with specimens dated to approximately 7000 BCE based onradiocarbon dating. The artifacts found in this complex are typical of mobilehunter-gatherers. The Dalton occupation was remarkable in its intensity with over 150projectile points, in addition to Paleo-Indianuniface tools such asscrapers andknives, found during the 1961 survey season. The projectile points include both Paleo-Indian (lanceolate Dalton points) andArchaic (side-notched Big Sandy points) specimens.[4]Other artifacts indicate manufacture ofwood,antler, andbone tools.[5]
Paleoindian sites with preservedfaunal andfloral records, such as Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter, are important to understanding cultural development during the period. The faunal remains of the site containbones of modern animals includingdeer,squirrel,turkey, andporcupine. The shelter is located below the southern extent of the current range of porcupines. In addition, remains of theextinctpassenger pigeon have been found. Although the animals which the Dalton occupantshunted are similar to those hunted by Archaic peoples, there is no evidence in the zone ofshellfish collection orseed processing, traits of established Archaic societies.[4]
Zone B in the photograph of the stratigraphic zones contains specimens from the Morrow Mountain Phase of the Middle Archaic period. The excavation of this intermediate layer yielded three sets of human remains as well as projectile points, boneawls, and other tools. The youngest stratigraphic zone (Zone A, not shown in the photograph) contained specimens from the Archaic through Mississippian periods.
The excavation of the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter commenced in 1960, after gaining approval of the property owner, Robert B. Stanfield. The project was under the guidance of the North Alabama Project, a partnership between the Alabama Archaeological Society, theUniversity of Alabama and the Archaeological Research Association of Alabama.[4] The first two field seasons (1960 and 1961) were reported byDavid L. DeJarnette and colleagues.[6] The excavation of the third and final season (1963) was smaller in scale with the results never being published.
Thetrench and block technique was utilized in the excavation of the site. In this technique, individual blocks are created by digging trenches in a defined pattern. The exposed sides of the resulting blocks allow excavation to proceed by individual zones or strata. The trenches and blocks are pictured in the photograph on the upper right. The resulting collection includes over 11,000 specimens.[4]
By 1960, it was clear that north Alabama had possibly the densest concentration of Paleo-Indian sites within the United States, as evidenced by the discovery of theQuad site near Decatur, Alabama. The importance of the Stanfield-Worley Bluff Shelter, one such Paleo-Indian site, lies in its ability to establish an accurate timeframe for Dalton projectile points.[7] This resulted in references to the site in almost every summary of eastern North American prehistory.
With over 150 projectile points recovered in the 1960 season alone, the site provided invaluable information on numerous early cultures in Alabama. The projectile points were divided into "fifty-six taxonomic types and six residual categories or provisional types."[6][7] Much of the information was incorporated into theHandbook of Alabama Archaeology.[8]
Both Robert E. Bell and Charles H. Fairbanks lauded the success of the North Alabama project in raisingfunds to further archaeological research.[7][9]
| Middle Mississippian |
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| South Appalachian Mississippian |
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| Fort Walton culture | |||||||||||
| Pensacola culture | |||||||||||
| Plaquemine Mississippian | |||||||||||
| Caddoan Mississippian | |||||||||||
| Upper Mississippian cultures |
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| Culture |
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