I 
Excavations in the Matthews Site, New Madrid County, Mo, 93 
VIL TRAIT ANALYSIS OF THE MATTHEWS SITE 
Table II contains a summary t)f the traits for the New 
Madrid Focus. This list is based on Potter's summary of the 
4 New Madrid County sites and one m Scott County together 
with the results of the recent excavations at the Matthews Site. 
Madrid 
Gordon 
the same general geographic region. As can be seen, there is a 
high correlation of the traits of the 3 other foci with those of 
the Matthews Site. It seems justifiable to place them all in a 
common aspect. Since this aspect seems to center around the 
M 
the term 
ti 
;pect 
Table IV lists the major traits of the stone grave complex 
d east of the Mississiooi in both the Kincaid and Gordon 
Miss 
Madrid and NE-Ark foci. While 
diagnostic for the establishment of East Centroval and West 
Centroval aspects, it seems preferable to await more data before 
setting up a new aspect. 
Study of the data of Tables II, III, and IV has resulted in 
a tentative assignment of the Matthews Site to the Mississippi 
Pattern, Middle Phase, undetermined aspect. New Madrid Focus. 
With the exception of cord marked, grit tempered pottery asso- 
ciated with the shell tempered wares, there is almost no evidence 
ofthe Woodland Pattern, Virtually all other diagnostic traits 
are recognized as belonging to the Mississippi Pattern, Middle 
Phase. 
M 
pottery 
tion by trailing, broad-Hne incising, and punctating designs, and 
the discovery 
With 
plicated, the configuration of the mounds, village, and asso- 
ciated features is common all the way down the Mississippi 
Valley. Moreover, there are resemblances to the Plattin Focus 
sites 'in Jefferson County, Mo., the Kincaid site on^ the Ohio 
River near Metropolis, 111., the Gordon 
Mounds at W 
M 
Eastern Arkansas as far as the Arkansas River. 
