  The Lawhorn site is located on the Leachville-Arkansas-Missouri Quadrangle of the U.S. Army Engineer Map in the NW SW Sec. 5, T15N, R7E. This lies along the watercourse of the St. Francis River, in Craighead County four miles north of Monette, Arkansas. In all probability, at the time the site was occupied, the main river channel was not far away. Figure 1 shows the general location of the site in northeast Arkansas just below the boot-heel of Missouri. The larger and better known sites shown on this map indicate the extent of the Mississippian groups in this region. The site is close to one just north and one or two south which seem to be almost identical judging by surface finds and tests. The Lawhorn material is mostly Mississippian or has a Mississippian component that predominates in the materials found. An early component is Woodland or Baytown but it is not well represented on the site. Figure 1. Map Showing the Lawhorn Site in Relation to Archaeological Sites in the Central Mississippi Valley
Early St. Francis River meanders flowed eastward along the southern end of the site, and in doing so washed away, then redeposited new silt over that section. This showed quite clearly in the R22 profile drawings. Other than this, in discussing the general nature of the site, it must be recognized that the New Madrid earthquake of 1812 changed the contours and drainage of this area to a great extent. It is to be noted that the Lawhorn site lies on a natural levee or ridge; that is, a ridge in the terms of the people who live in this flat country. It is some three to five feet higher than the surrounding land. This rise is adequate to keep the site dry and well drained through periods of high water and floods except during abnormal years. An Army Engineer aerial photograph of the area (Fig. 2) shows the general topographic relationships. The old meander of the St. Francis River, where it cut through the southern end of the site, can still be made out. The most recent of the old channels of the St. Francis are quite apparent in the densely overgrown jungle-like terrain. This is the area known as the Sunken Lands. The higher elevations on either side are protected by levees and by drainage ditches to carry off the immediate drainage water to a point where it can be siphoned back into the St. Francis. It is this drainage ditch which was cut recently through the Lawhorn site and which can be seen very clearly as it parallels the new levee. The site itself is in the left central part of the figure as marked by the delineating outline (Fig. 3). The black spots showing in the aerial photo are areas of higher moisture content due to irregular drying and perhaps have more to do with the New Madrid earthquake disturbances than with archaeological phenomena. Figure 4 indicates the extent of the excavations and the method of horizontal control through a grid system. Base lines were established on the south and west sides of the site so that all squares carry an E (east) distance number combined with an N (north) distance number. Ten foot intervals or squares were used so that square 17R30, for example, would be marked by the southwest corner stake of a square 170 feet north and 300 feet west of datum. Datum control point was marked by an iron rod firmly set in the ground. |
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