Situating the Claiborne Soapstone Vessel Cache in the History of Poverty Point

A recently repatriated cache of 12 soapstone vessels from the Claiborne site, Mississippi, reveals that these artifacts were likely deposited around 200 years after the peak trading activity at Poverty Point. New AMS assays on carbon deposits from seven vessels indicate the cache was placed during or shortly before the abandonment of Poverty Point (ca. 3600–3400 cal BP). This discovery sheds light on the post-peak period of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, suggesting shifts in cultural practices and environmental conditions after 3200 cal BP. The study combines radiocarbon dating with observations on vessel form and function to infer the cache's significance amid broader societal changes.

Sassaman, K. E., & Brookes, S. O. (2017). SITUATING THE CLAIBORNE SOAPSTONE VESSEL CACHE IN THE HISTORY OF POVERTY POINT. American Antiquity, 82(4), 781–797. https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2017.41