Newsletter Articles by Kevin E. Smith
Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society Newsletter, 2018
One of the interesting notions that George E. Lankford (2012, 2014) and others have proposed is t... more One of the interesting notions that George E. Lankford (2012, 2014) and others have proposed is the transmission of a special plant with mind-altering properties from Mesoamerica to the American Southwest then to the Caddoan region, the Central Mississippi valley, and eventually to Tennessee. The movement of plants with special ritual importance arguably came not only with specialized knowledge about them, but also with ritual paraphernalia, including pottery vessels and other things (perhaps to be discussed by Lankford at our upcoming meeting).
Tennessee Anthropological Association Newsletter 21(4):1-10, 1996
An imaginative child needs only to be placed in the atmosphere of poetry. Her little mind, if kep... more An imaginative child needs only to be placed in the atmosphere of poetry. Her little mind, if kept unshackled by adult drives, by being forced to read or to memorize, will quickly accumulate, not necessarily poems themselves , but rhyme, melody, a zest for words, images, and the very soul of poetry itself (Bert Roller writing of Lib in 1928).
In an earlier article, I presented the story of the " Williamson County Giant " as I then knew it... more In an earlier article, I presented the story of the " Williamson County Giant " as I then knew it – an enormous skeleton discovered near Franklin, Tennessee that was interpreted, reconstructed, and mounted as an 18-19 foot tall member of the genus Homo and placed on display in Nashville and later New Orleans only to be revealed as a misinterpreted and mis-presented mastodon skeleton (Smith 2013). Further research has revealed some additional information pertinent to this remarkable story.
Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society Newsletter 40(1):2-4.
Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society Newsletter 40(6):4-6, Dec 2015
Examines the apparent vernacular use of a large hollow gum tree as a mineral springhouse in early... more Examines the apparent vernacular use of a large hollow gum tree as a mineral springhouse in early nineteenth century Tennessee.
Documents the visit of Fewkes to Middle Tennessee to examine local sites for potential acquisitio... more Documents the visit of Fewkes to Middle Tennessee to examine local sites for potential acquisition as federal archaeological parks.
Documentation from historic records of a "lost" Mississippian era mound center along the Cumberla... more Documentation from historic records of a "lost" Mississippian era mound center along the Cumberland River in Middle Tennessee.
Documents two historic "petroglyphs" from Middle Tennessee.
Examines the discovery of the skeleton of a "giant" near Franklin, Tennessee in 1845.
Documentation of the early collection of a salt pan at Sulphur Dell in 1831 by John Varden of the... more Documentation of the early collection of a salt pan at Sulphur Dell in 1831 by John Varden of the Washington City Museum.
Presents the text of and contextual information for on an 1867 newspaper article on excavations b... more Presents the text of and contextual information for on an 1867 newspaper article on excavations by Joseph Jones in Nashville, Tennessee on Mississippian sites.
Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society Newsletter, Jun 2013
Examines the mystery of the "Stone Fort Ghost" -- a folktale associated with Old Stone Fort, a Mi... more Examines the mystery of the "Stone Fort Ghost" -- a folktale associated with Old Stone Fort, a Middle Woodland hilltop enclosure in Coffee County, Tennessee.
Papers by Kevin E. Smith
American Anthropologist, 2010
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Newsletter Articles by Kevin E. Smith
Papers by Kevin E. Smith