Made in United States ofAmerica Reprinted from SOUTHEASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY Vol. 24, No. I, Summer 2005 Copyright © 2005 by the Southeastern Archaeological Conference NIISSISSIPPIAN STATUS IN WESTERN KENTUCKY: EVIDENCE FROM THE ANNIS MOUND Scott W. Hammerstedt Models of Mississippial1 sociopolitical complexity depend heavily all data derived froll7 large sites such as Cahokia, MOllndville, and Etowah. This "top-dowil" approach has led to a masking of the variation within Mississippian societies. Reslilts of an al1alysis of WPA collections from eXC!7Vatiol1S at Annis MOllnd (I5BT2), a sma// Mississippian mound site il1 wcstcrn Kcntllcky, shozi' tlll1t, apart from large slimmit architectllre, there is little evidence for the dlfferentiatioll of elites that is seen at larger sites. Artifacts found in summit entures and mOllnd fill do 110t reflect typical "elite" patterns. Archaeologists typiCAlly describe MississippiAn socie- ties of the pre-ColumbiAn. southeastern United StAtes as possessing elements of social ranking and permanent offices of political and ritual importance. Platform mounds and their contents are critical elements in arguments characterizing Mississippian societies as chiefdoms, and social differentiation relates to the residence of elites on these mounds. What is Jess clear is the extent of the social distinctions between the elite and the non-elite. While markers of social differentiCltion often Me re<idily appMent, the W<iYs in which individ- uals of high status are separated economically from those of lower status are uncleor <ind the subject of much deba te (e.g., Cobb 2003; Milner 1998; Muller 1997; Pauketat 1994; Schroeder 2002). There is general agreement among Mississippian re- seMchers about the kin-b<ised nature of chiefly power, and that chiefs had some control over the labor and resources of their followers (Cobb 2003; Schroeder 2002). A limited number of individuals was somehow set apart from the general population And exercised influence and authority. This elevation of certain individuals is most notable in residence on platform mounds and in rich burials such as those <it Mound C <it Moundville (Moore 1996:162-166; Knight and Stepon<iitis 1998; Peebles 1971), Mound C at Etowah (King 2003; Larson 1971), Mound 72 at Cahokia (Fowler et AI. 1999), the Craig Mound at Spiro (Brown 1971, 1996), and many lesser known. sites (e.g., Jenkins and Krause 1986; Milner et al. 1984). The higher social standing of elites, the prestige and privilege thut goes with high status, and the central importance of platform mounds in Mississippian societies (see also Knight 1986, 1989; Krause 1990; Lindauer and Blitz 1997) are suggested by the archaeologicaI features of these mounds, although the social implications of overall mound volume are debated (e.g., Blitz and Livingood 2004). Disagreement exists, however, about the degree of control elites had over the basic necessities of life. While evidence indicates that elites had some preferential access to prestige items, it is less clear that they enjoyed an advantage \,vith respect to foodstuffs and the more mundane artifacts associated with daily life. Most studies of status differentiation in the archaeological literature focus on large multiple mound sites, leaving archaeologists "vith a "top-down" view of political economy. While this approach has resulted in the recognition of a social elite at the largest Mississippian sites, comparatively little is known about the nature of status distinctions within the much more numerous and smaller mound sites that dot the Southeast. Knowledge of Mississippian status and elite privileges is therefore hampered by the bias toward large mound centers (see Clay 1997). Further, models that appear plausible at the lurger sites do not necessarily work for mid-sized and small mound sites In order to c'lddress these issues, I evaluate the evidence for status differentiation at a small mound site, the Annis Mound (15BT2), located along the Green River in Butler County, Kentucky (Figure 1), on the fringe of the Mississippic'ln world. Models of Mississippian Differentiation Researchers marshal both historical and arch<ieologi- cal evidence to delimit the extent of differentiation within Mississippian societies. The writings of members of the De Soto expedition, in particular, provide a number of references to the privileged position occupied by Southeastern chiefs (Clayton, Knight, and Moore 1993; see also DePratter 1983). Differential access to labor, stores of food, and display/prestige goods are evident in the writings of De Soto's men (Clayton, Knight, a nd Moore 1993). Items described as prestige goods often were stored in temples in the central towns of chiefdoms, although at least some of these goods were distributed to temple guards or to the general population by the chief (DePratter 1983:138). What is less clear is how the social prestige enjoyed by chiefs may have translated into preferred access to the basic necessities of life. The physical separation of elites from commoners is also a regular theme in historic documents. Elvas (1993:82,93) and Rangel (1993:284) provide accounts of chiefs being carried on litters by lesser nobles (see also 11