The Piazza Site (23FR300) was tested by the Missoui Department of Transportation
along
Route O in Franklin County to determine if
the site needed mitigation. A Clovis point was discovered in one of the shovel tests conducted on the site.
The Clovis point measures 47.4 cm in length, 18.4 cm in width, and 6.9 mm in thickness. It weighs 6.0 grams.
The point was manufactured from Very Pale Brown (10YR7/3) chert with Yellowish Brown (10YR5/6) mottling.
Phase I and II research at the site yielded 159 artifacts weighing 476.7 grams.
Chert debitage (the waste products of tool manufacture) included 154 specimens with a weight of 321.8 grams; the majority
of the debitage consists of shatter (141 pieces weighing 311.6 grams). Fieldwork at the site yielded 1 chert core, 1 biface (131-1),
1 fluted point (Artifact No. 1-1), 1 scraper (135-1), and 1 piece of utilized hematite (135-2).
Color photographs and line drawings scanned of the scraper and biface tool from the Missouri Department of Transportation report on the Piazza Site.
The Piazza site is a light to moderate density scatter of chert debitage and artifacts.
It is identified as a temporary campsite belonging to the
Paleo-Indian/Clovis tradition based upon the distinctive fluted point and endscraper.
The site is situated on a long ridge and is centered on a prominent hilltop 1.6 km south of the Meramec River
and 1.3 km north of Winch creek. The site measured approximately 180 meters
east-west by 215 meters north-south and ranges in elevation from 177 meters to 189 meters above mean sea level. (Breitenstein, Cox and Meinkoth
1996:36)
Breitenstein, Richard, Kelly R. Cox and Michael C. Meinkoth
1996 Phase I and II cultural resource investigations of the proposed Route O
relocation in Franklin and Jefferson Counties, Missouri. Missouri Department of Transportation Job No. J6S0429.
Many thanks to John Eastman (Missouri Department of Transportation) for providing assistance in the study of the fluted point from the
Piazza Site and for providing access to the CRM report on the site.
Warm thanks to Neathery Fuller for taking the best digital images and videotaping the
research with the collection. Many smiles to Ettus Hiatt for her help with text and content editing.
Webpage Created 3 June 2009
Webpage updated 11 June 2009