RIVER BASIN SURVEYS — F. H. H. ROBERTS 369 



The Allatoona Reservoir on the Etowah River near Cartersville, 

 Ga., constitutes one of the most complete units thus far studied by the 

 River Basin Surveys. Following a preliminary reconnaissance of 

 the area to be flooded by the reservoir, a series of excavations was 

 started at a number of village sites. In some cases the villages were 

 well-developed communities, but in a few instances appeared to have 

 been of a more rudimentary nature. During the course of the work 

 11 sites were excavated and 19 were tested. On the basis of the results 

 from both the surveys and the digging it was possible to outline a 

 sequence of cultural stages in the Etowah River area. At least 10 

 and probably 11 different periods were identified. They extended 

 from the historic Cherokee of about 1755 back to a prepottery phase 

 when hunting and food gathering comprised the basic sustenance of 

 the people. The various periods that were determined by the investi- 

 gations have been named Gait, which is that of the liistoric Cherokee ; 

 Brewster and Lamar, w^hich may represent occupations by the Creeks ; 

 Savannah and Etowah, which probably are attributable to the same 

 Muskogean stock but which have not yet been identified so far as the 

 specific tribes are concerned ; and the Woodstock, which still remains 

 to be correlated with a definite group but which is significant because 

 it was characterized by a fortified village with a circular double pali- 

 sade and bastions. Fortified villages in this part of the country ap- 

 peared at a much earlier date than in the Missouri Basin. The 

 Woodstock is the first period where there is evidence for the growing 

 of corn. The preceding period, which is identified by a distinctive 

 type of stamped pottery decoration and indications that the people 

 had become at least semisedentary, has been called the Cartersville. 

 Preceding the Cartersville stage was one that has been called Acworth. 

 It was represented by the remains of a village containing some 60 

 round structures of varying sizes, a number of storage and midden 

 pits, and a few graves. Definite indications of Hopewellian influences 

 were present in that horizon. Stone napkin-ring-type ear spools 

 were found in a grave of that period. Graves were carefully prepared 

 and bark was placed over and under the dead. The pottery was a 

 plain, well-polished ware that preceded the introduction of stamped 

 wares in the area. Preceding the Acworth was a period that is known 

 as the Kellogg. It was characterized by a semisedentary hunting and 

 gathering culture. There was considerable use of storage pits and a 

 variety of acorns and nuts were recovered from them. It seems 

 that the bow and arrow first appeared in the Allatoona region during 

 that period. Prior to the Kellogg was a period represented only by 

 a certain type of projectile point and scattered finds of potsherds from 

 a fiber-tempered kind of pottery. That period has been designated 

 Stallings because the points and potsherds are similar to those oc- 

 curring on Stallings Island in the Savannah River farther east. The 



