Bridgeton 23SL442

The Bridgeton archaeological site (23SL442) was a large village site on a terrace above the Missouri River. A radiocarbon sample from the house #8 was dated as AD 790 +/- 100.


Merrell Cordmarked rimsherd.


Plan of a Mississippian house (number 10) that was rebuilt four times. The original footprint of the house measured 6.0 x 3.6 meters. The final phase of the house measured 8.0 x 3.8 meters. Pit feature 134 contained Emergent Mississippian pottery sherds. The house was warmed by a central fire hearth. The floor of this structure contained portions of two Busycon shells and fragments of mica.


Drawing of a Ramey Incised vessel found in house number 1 at the Bridgeton Site.


Drawing of a human effigy figurine (out of clay) from house number 1 at the Bridgeton site.


Disk cut from the body of a cordmarked pottery vessel.


Red slipped rimsherds.


Incised rimsherd resembling Barton Incised and dating to the Emergent Mississippian Period.


Bean pot handle.

The University of Missouri - St. Louis conducted several summer fieldschools at the site during the 1980s under the direction of Joe Harl; he analyzed the data as the basis of his Master's thesis at Washington University in St. Louis. Four wall trench houses were identified as a result of the UMSL excavation. His research disdcovered Additional fieldwork was conducted at the site during 1999 by SCI Engineering, Inc., St. Peters, Mo. The site is not open to the public.

The digital photographs at this site were taken with the permission of Joe Harl during a meeting of the Missouri Archaeological Society.


Webpage constructed 8 May 2006
Updated 14 May 2006