Central States Archaeological Journal Volume 55, Number 4, October 2008
On the Cover:
Head pots are some of the most interesting vessels created by Mississippian peoples. There has been much debate over what and whom the portraits represent. Some believe they are death portraits of warrior chiefs, while others think these pots represent a severed trophy head.
Current interpretations suggest that the vessels may represent idealized images of individuals involved in some form of ritual personification of mythical beings. Most have eyes that appear to be “blind” and mouths drawn open as in death, with the lips pulled back and the teeth showing. Some also feature elaborate tattoos.
The vessel pictured is considered to be of the Pecan Point style. This style most closely resembles an actual human head in form rather than having a conventional vessel shape. The pot was found at the Big Eddy Site in St. Francis County, Arkansas (3SF9), by Don “Possum” Hicks of Tull, Arkansas, in the spring of 1981.
The vessel is from the collection of David Bogle and is currently on display at the Museum of Native American Artifacts in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Table of Contents
| Title | Author | Page(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Message From Your Editor | Steven R. Cooper | 171 |
| Introduction to the 50th Arkansas Anniversary Issue | Jim Cherry | 172 |
| The Founding of the Arkansas Society | — | 173 |
| The Prehistoric Peoples of Arkansas | Steven R. Cooper | 174–177 |
| Some Observations on Caddoan Archeology in Arkansas | Rick Steed | 178–184 |
| The Novaculite Gary Projectile Point from Hot Springs | John F. Berner | 185–187 |
| Chunkee Player Shell Gorgets | Kent C. Westbrook | 188–197 |
| A Rare Effigy Vessel from Poinsett County | — | 198 |
| A Dancing Caddo Woodpecker Plate | — | 199 |
| The Stone Corn Goddess Pipe from Desha County | Jim Cherry | 200–203 |
| Museum of Native American Artifacts | Steven R. Cooper | 204–213 |
| Entwined Serpents | Jim Cherry | 214 |
| A Pig Effigy Vessel from the Magness Site | — | 215–217 |
| A Very Remarkable Cache of Mississippian Spades | Jim Cherry | 218 |
| A Walls Engraved Bottle | Ron Harris | 219 |
| The Best of the Best | Kent C. Westbrook | 220–221 |
| The Foster Style Earspool | Steven R. Cooper | 222–223 |
| Patched Pots | Jim Cherry | 224–226 |
| The Spider Gorget from the Parkin Site | — | 227 |
| Mineral Springs Knives | — | 228–229 |
| A Most Unusual Arkansas Artifact | Jim Cherry | 230 |
| An Explicit Human Effigy Vessel from the Twist Place | — | 231 |
| A Disc Pipe from the Chickasawba Village Site in Mississippi County, Arkansas | — | 232 |
| A Mississippian Frog or Two | — | 233 |
| The Robert Bell Locksburg Site Blade | — | 234 |
| Two Quapaw Teapots | — | 235 |
| Full Bodied Fulton Aspect Caddo Effigy Vessels | Steven R. Cooper | 236–241 |
| The Yell County Stone Frog Effigy Pipe | — | 242 |
| The Edward W. Payne Trophy Head Vessel | — | 243 |
| The Thilbault Spud | Kent C. Westbrook | 244–247 |
| A Human Effigy from the Magness Site | John F. Berner | 248–249 |
| The Way Things Used To Be | Steven R. Cooper | 250–255 |
| The Pike County Cache – A History Detectives Saga | Charlie Wagers | 256–259 |
| Buffalo Style Shell Mask Gorgets from Arkansas | — | 260 |
| A Caddo Turtle Shell Gorget from Clark County, Arkansas | — | 261 |
| A Snyders Obsidian Point | Jim Cherry | 262–265 |
| An Amazingly Large Ouachita Blade | — | 266 |
| Two Falcon Pipes from Crenshaw Mound | — | 267–268 |
| A Great Cone | Kent C. Westbrook | 269 |
| Ceremonial Figurines on Pottery Bottles | Jim Cherry | 270–272 |
| Book Reviews | — | 273–275 |
| Certain Caddo Sites in Arkansas – M.R. Harrington | — | 273 |
| Ancient Indian Pottery of the Mississippi River Valley / The Quapaw and Their Pottery – Roy Hathcock | — | 273 |
| Arkansas Archaeology: Essays in Honor of Dan and Phyllis Morse – Mainfort & Jeter | — | 273 |
| Classics in Southeastern Archaeology – Stephen Williams | — | 274 |
| Legacy in Clay: Prehistoric Ceramic Art of Arkansas – Kent C. Westbrook | — | 274 |
| Gifts of the Great River – John H. House | — | 274–275 |
| The Art of the Ancient Caddo – Bonds & Efird | — | 275 |
| The Redskin Vol. XIV No. 4 – Mississippian Culture Ceramics | — | 275 |
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