High-resolution dating of legacy collections from the Cedarland and Claiborne sites, southwest Mississippi

We present 12 new high-resolution radiocarbon dates from unreported excavations at the Cedarland and Claiborne sites in southwest Mississippi. Interpretations of the sites rely on five dates obtained in the 1960s and 1970s, none of which meet minimum standards for chronological hygiene. Reliance on these imprecise dates results in inaccurate interpretations of the historical relationship between these sites and their interactions with contemporary settlements in the Lower Mississippi Valley, most notably the Poverty Point site. Results demonstrate that Cedarland pre-dates Claiborne by circa 500 years, while Claiborne is the same age as Poverty Point – findings that suggest they had distinct histories and roles in the Late Archaic Southeast. Cedarland must be reassessed because of its unique geographic position in a complicated social network materialized by the exchange of bannerstones, shell, and copper between the Gulf coast and interior Southeast. Despite what seems to be a common cultural heritage manifest by superficial resemblances in artifacts, new chronologies from Poverty Point, Jaketown, and now Claiborne indicate these iconic sites had varied trajectories of interaction, dissimilar identities, and distinct histories. Because Cedarland and Claiborne have largely been destroyed, these findings emphasize the vital role of using legacy collections to pursue contemporary research questions.