People Of The Shoals Summary

Samuel Elenwo
ANTH 4813
11/05/2015

Social interaction between Settlers of the Coastline Was drag-and-jab pottery design synonymous to matrilocal post marital residence? Did the cluster of shell rings and pits features associate to close community settlement among natives? These topics remain prevalent and are explored in Kenneth Sassaman’s book People of the Shoals. People of the Shoals reveal the story of the Stalling Culture, an American Indian civilization that resided in the Savannah River Valley near the Tennessee River almost 4,000 years ago. Kenneth Sassaman provides an intricate yet engaging perspective to the “rise and fall of the Stallings” Island culture as well as illustrate the “archaeology that brings Stalling history to life” …show more content…
Stalling culture served a binary purpose in how marriages and living were arranged. Housing patterns and communities in classic Stallings showed similarities in the living arrangement of different cultures. The clusters of pit features arranged in a circle shaped signified habitation association among compound members of a community. A huge factor in the connection between cultures was pottery. Pottery and the use of various patterns of pottery design on vessels used for eating or celebration where seen throughout Stalling island. One of the most popular pottery design technique was the drab-and-jab technique found in Ed Marshall, Mill Branch and Early Stalling culture. Pottery was a hobby of women and it led to the introduction of stylish elements in pottery. These stylish elements and design even after marriage, generally never left the maternal community and it was assumed that matrilocal post marital residence was the reason for this. Being that the women never left their community after marriage and the men moved into their tribe, intercommunity use of vessel and vessel design was used to demonstrate hierarchy and status in the tribe. Sassaman suggested that the ancestry of the Mill Branch culture likely assimilated into Stallings culture via marriages, but, resistant factions survived in the area for generations by means of their separation and reinvention in dispersed, mobile settlements of the adjoining uplands. The elaboration of these Stallings pottery was emphasis on their design being used as a way to interact with others. Carinated vessels are a great example of this as it was essential to the progress of an intercommunity social relationship in Stallings Island. Carinated vessels were used in special occasion such as ceremonial feasting for the dead. These vessels were used for serving in social

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