Case study

Archaeological test excavation

Hogjaw Valley

Testing of a prehistoric shell midden on the Tennessee River

By Daniel T. Elliott
Produced for Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alabama
Fall 2000

For years, the Tennessee River steadily eroded away at an ancient Native American archaeological site in what is now known as Hogjaw Valley near Scottsboro, Alabama. Also in danger of the eroding river currents was a local county road. In 2000, the Jackson County Commissioners received funding from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct archaeological test excavations to determine if the archaeological site was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and to assess the effects bank stabilization measures would have on the site. Southern Research was selected to conduct the work for the County Commissioners and the NRSC. Our excavations discovered stratified archaeological deposits dating from the Archaic and Woodland periods. Dense mussel shell middens and living surfaces were observed on the site and important information on these early Tennessee River Valley residents was recovered through the analysis of stone and bone tools as well as soapstone and pottery vessels.