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THE MIDDLE WOODLAND PERIOD IN CENTRAL MARYLAND   
The Middle Woodland period (ca. 400 B.C. – 800 A.D.) marks a significant period of transition and change in the Middle Atlantic culture area. The Lost Towns Project, with support from the Maryland Historical Trust non-capital grant program, has begun a multi-year investigation and inquiry into this important period in Maryland's Native American past. To enhance and encourage scholarly inquiry and understanding of the Middle Woodland period in the Mid-Atlantic region, lead researcher Stephanie Sperling (assisted by intern Marc Browne,) has compiled a comprehensive annotated bibliography of resources that address this period of prehistory in Central Maryland and summarized the issues brought to light in these sources into a briefing on the current state of knowledge on the period in Central Maryland in "The Middle Woodland Period in Central Maryland: A Fresh Look at Old Questions," For a more rudimentary introduction to the prehistory of Maryland, we would recomend that you visit the website of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab, for a primer on prehistory in Maryland. Jacks Reef Points
Shell Tempered Prehistoric Pottery


This research will lay the foundation for the Lost Towns Project team to revisit and investigate nearly 200 previously recorded sites in Anne Arundel County over the next two years. To manage the sheer number of sites to be considerd, the research team has developed a "SITE INDEX MAP & KEY," which will be used to manage site visits, track each sites status, and monitor our progress.

(Note that the Site Index Map and associated site data are in a section of the site that is passowrd protected. Detailed site data and locations are available only to qualified researchers.. Please contact Jane Cox at 410-222-7440 to obtain the login and password.)

Below you will find links to a bibliography of some of the most relevant Middle Woodland period sources available. Forty-five of these documents have been summarized as a way of providing other researchers a brief tool for summarizing the current state of knowledge on the time period. The annotated bibliography provides a starting point for the exploration of the Middle Woodland period and can lend insights into the scholalry inquiry of this time period over the past 50 years. The original texts can be found in various repositiories; some can be found online, at the MHT library, or on file at Anne Arundel County's Cultural Resources Division in Annapolis, MD. Soon the team will develop a GIS mapping component of this tool, which will allow researchers to consider questions of temporal and spatial significance of this era.


Review Bibliography
(sorted alphabetically by Author)

....Review Bibliography by Keywords
......Select a Keyword below to review only those articles that address the specific topics

Chronology
Settlement Patterns and Subsistence
Resource Procurement
Trade/ Exchange Patterns
Ceramic Technology (including Mockley and Popes Creek wares)
Lithic Technology, Stone Tools and Projectile points
Features (including Shell Middens and Pits)
Selby Bay Phase

Radiocarbon (C14) Dates
Climate Change, Language, and Mortuary Practices

 

Lost Towns Project * Anne Arundel County Trust for Preservation, Inc. * PO Box 1573 * Annapolis, MD 21404