Archaeological Site Report:
The River Bend Estates & River Bend East Sites
Chesterfield, Missouri
| Mississippian | AD 1,000–1,400 |
Introduction: In the early spring of 1959, the Burton W. Duenke Construction Company was all set to begin construction of the River Bend Estates subdivision. G. W. Mefferd, Vice President of Duenke Construction, noticed three subtle humps near the crest of the bluff line. Suspecting they might be ancient Indian mounds, he contacted the University of Missouri–Columbia. Archaeologist Dale R. Henning visited the site to investigate.
As it turned out, the humps were not Indian mounds, but rather the remains of three large, ancient buildings that had burned and collapsed. The remains of the buildings/structures were then gradually covered over naturally by dust and decayed leaves.
Dale Henning and a team of archaeologists and volunteers excavated the three structures. They discovered that they were not homes, but rather three buildings used for ritualistic mortuary practices. A village perhaps associated with the mortuary complex was also excavated during construction of the River Bend East section of the subdivision. Both the mortuary and the village date to the Mississippian Period (AD 1,000–1,400).
The People of the Mississippian Period: AD 1,000–1,400. This period was marked by the development of large permanent villages led by powerful leaders. Over time one such village grew to become a large, powerful city with a population of over 15,000. This city, located just a few miles east of downtown St. Louis, is called Cahokia Mounds. The ancient city of Cahokia served as the hub or central authority of a culture that reached from Minnesota to Florida. Most archaeologists think the adoption of corn or maize as a crop was the major force in bringing about these large villages and cities.
Artifacts from Mississippian village sites in Chesterfield have led some scientists to conclude that these villages not only conducted regular trade with Cahokia, but may have operated under its ruling authority as well. Below is a drawing of the great city of Cahokia.
Evidence of a link to Cahokia : Religion & Trade. Pottery, stone tools and the way houses were constructed all date the River Bend mortuary and village to the Mississippian Period. The presence of a very special type of pottery provides the strongest evidence suggesting a formal link between these sites and Cahokia.
It is thought that a specific type of pottery, called Ramey Incised, was made exclusively for the rulers at Cahokia. Only the rulers could use this type of pottery, and only under their authority could it be provided to and used by others. The presence of Ramey Incised pottery at the River Bend sites could show a formal tie between the mortuary and village to Cahokia.
This piece of Ramey
Incised pottery (shown above) was found at the River Bend East village site.
It may provide evidence of a formal governmental link between this village
and the ruling authority at the great city of Cahokia. Below is a drawing
and photograph of Ramey Incised vessels.
Scientists do not know exactly how this village interacted with the ruling authorities at Cahokia. One theory is that Cahokia, with its 15,000 citizens had used up and/or outgrown its own natural resources. Therefore, it became increasingly dependent upon trade with smaller villages throughout the region. Perhaps the high quality flint available in Chesterfield was traded to Cahokia .
That raises the question, what could Cahokia offer the people of River Bend, who lived in a rich environment, full of everything needed to provide food, clothing and shelter? The answer may be religious in nature. The ruler at Cahokia was thought by his citizens to have a special relationship with the spirit world. They may have even believed that he was both man and god.
Possible Exchange or Trade Model
Perhaps, according to their religious beliefs, the priests at River Bend could not properly send the spirits of the dead from their village onto the spirit world without a special herbal mix contained in a Ramey Incised pottery vessel.
Furthermore, as Cahokia's dependence on its smaller, outlying villages became greater and greater, the power of the leaders at these villages became stronger. The leader of the River Bend village may have traded goods to Cahokia in exchange for various items not available in this area.
The River Bend Village: What Did They Eat? Mississippian people continued hunting using the Late Woodland innovation, the bow & arrow. Also, they continued gathering foods such as nuts, berries, roots and seeds. The introduction or corn or maize into their diet was probably the single most important factor influencing Mississippian culture.
Maize or corn was a major food source for the people of the Mississippian Period. The ability of these people to grow and store excess amounts of corn was a significant factor in the growth of large villages and cities.
Compared to other sources of food, farming corn provided the greatest amount of food, for the least amount of effort. Corn enabled the Mississippian people to grow excess food that could be easily stored. It could be stored for use during the winter when other food sources were not available. Corn could be traded, either as food or for use as seeds.
This is a farming tool called a hoe. It was found at a Mississippian Site in Faust Park and is on display at Shenandoah Elementary School. This hoe is made of a special type of flint that is found only in Illinois, in an area south of the great Mississippian city at Cahokia. Tools like this were uncovered at the River Bend village and provide evidence of a trade relationship between the people here and Cahokia.
Being able to produce excess food with relatively minimal effort allowed Mississippian people to specialize in a variety of other tasks, such as building mounds, creating artistic items, trade, politics and religion. This also led to larger and larger populations. Oddly enough though, it may not have led to better health. As the Mississippians gradually became more and more dependent on corn, their diet may have lacked other essential vitamins and minerals. This may have led to a significant decline in their overall health and shortened their lifespan.
Technology: inside a Mississippian home. Wooden posts, cooking hearths and storage pits leave distinct stains in soil. When archaeologists carefully uncover soil, centimeter-by-centimeter, the remains of ancient houses sometimes become clearly visible.
Above: This is a live size Mississippian village on display at the Cahokia Mounds Interpretive Center. Visitors may walk through the village taking in the sites and sounds of what life may have been like for the villagers at River Bend. Below: This shows how Mississippian houses were contstructed.
The drawing below shows the stains left in the soil from one of the Mississippian houses uncovered at the River Bend East village site. The roof was supported by four posts shown as dark circles inside the home. The walls were made of posts, interwoven with grass and sticks and then covered with a mud plaster. This house measured 24 ft long x 18 ft wide.
Impressions of a woven grass mat (below) were uncovered in the floor of the house show an ancient version of wall-to-wall carpeting!
The Mortuary Complex at River Bend Estates: Three buildings related to the ritualistic cremation of bodies were uncovered at the River Bend Estates Site. The Mississippians may have believed that the spirit of the dead rises with smoke, as the bones are burned or cremated. Evidence at the River Bend mortuary complex provides information about the process involved in preparing bodies for cremation.
Step One: A body was buried in a shallow grave for a period of time.
Step Two: When only the bones of the person remained, they were dug up and placed into woven bags. These bags were then hung from the rafters in two structures used for drying the bones in preparation for cremation.
Two bone drying structures were uncovered at River Bend Estates. These were three sided, roofed buildings. The open side faced the southeast, providing exposure to the sun and good air circulation, to aid in drying the bones. This structure measured 32 x 18 ft.
This photo (below) of archaeologist Dale Henning at one of the bone drying buildings appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Below: John Kram,
previous owner of the River Bend Estates property, with volunteer at the
other bone drying building. –Photo courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Step Three: Once the bones were thoroughly dry they were brought to a third building for cremation. Like the bone-drying buildings, the cremation building was also three-sided. The floor was lined with flat limestone slabs, and the roof was supported by four large wooden posts.
Below: The floor of the bone cremation building was lined with flat limestone slabs. The building measured 22 x 16 ft. The bones of 20 people were uncovered near its center.
Below: Archaeologists reverently uncovered the bones of about 20 individuals found in the center of bone cremation building. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Photo of archaeologists working on uncovering the bone cremation building. – Photo courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Chesterfield's First Pet? Archaeologists uncovered the skeletal remains of a dog near one of the village houses. The dog was buried in a shallow grave. Dogs were sometimes used as pack animals, carrying bundles tied to their backs. Sometimes they were sacrificed in religious ceremonies. During very hard times, if food was scarce, they were eaten. The fact that this dog's skeleton was all in order, leads archaeologists to agree it was not killed for food. The dog's skull was found near its tail, rather than in place at its neck. Some archaeologists think this means the dog may have been sacrificed during a religious ceremony. Dale Henning believes the skull may have been moved after burial by tree roots or an animal digging a tunnel. Whether the dog was sacrificed or not, the fact that its ancient owner took the time to bury it could indicate that it was a pet.
River Bend Village & Mortuary Complex Pottery:
Working together: The excavations at River Bend Esates and River Bend East provide a good example of how home builders, professional archaeologists, and volunteers can work together to uncover information about the ancient inhabitants of Missouri. To honor archaeologist Dale Henning, the home builder named a street in the River Bend East subdivision after him.
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