McINTIRE 



39 



valley. After the master stream abandoned the Teche- Mississippi course, the Boeuf-Red occu- 

 pied the old entrenchment and therein built its levees. The presence of both the master stream 

 and the Boeuf-Red in the Teche- Mississippi course is without question. The major problem is 

 one of dating. The Gibson site (Fig. 3) located on the Teche- Mississippi course seems to fur- 

 nish evidence as to the approximate time that the Boeuf-Red was occupying the channel. As is 

 the case with many sites investigated during this survey, the Gibson site appears to be a mound 

 complex of a late period. However, borings show that the mounds were built upon an older shell 

 midden base, and pottery recovered from the midden is classified as Marksville. The midden 

 material extends to approximately twenty feet below the ground level and is intermixed with 

 red sediments. This indicates that the master stream was no longer flowing within the Teche- 

 Mississippi entrenchment during Marksville times but rather that the Boeuf-Red was occupying 

 the channel. 



After the master stream left the Teche- Mississippi channel it diverted to the eastern 

 side of the flood plain and extended its deltaic mass in the area presently known as the St. 

 Bernard subdelta. Marksville sites as far out as the Chandeleur Islands indicate that the island 

 arcs were land-connected during Marksville time and that they were probably part of an ancient 

 subdelta extending at least to the island limits. The ceramics recovered during this study give 

 the first hint that there may have been an earlier subdelta in this region than the one presently 

 recognized. 



The examples of cultural correlations with the natural setting given for Tchefuncte and 

 Marksville periods are generally found throughout the remaining culture periods. During Troy- 

 ville, Coles Creek, and Plaquemine periods the picture becomes clearer but the entire record 

 is not always possible to interpret because of subsidence and aggradation. However recent 

 streams leave the most distinct records and correlations are more easily determined. 



The map indicates areas of site clusters and suggests the regions of deposition for each 

 period. The relationship of the aboriginal population of coastal Louisiana and the physiographic 

 features they inhabited is indicated from the numerous and widespread occupation sites through- 

 out the region. Many sites in one area and the paucity of sites in others indicate the areas in 

 coastal Louisiana where habitation was possible for any one period. These sites were located 

 on the most stable ground in the unconsolidated deltaic mass and indicate the trafficable passes 

 during a particular time period. Cultural remains have provided many clues regarding the 

 natural setting during aboriginal time. 



Figure 3. Cross section of Gibson site. 



