MISSISSIPPIANIZATION IN THE WABASH VALLEY: CERAMIC PROVENANCE USING PORTABLE X-RAY FLUORESCENCE

The Wabash Valley in Western Indiana contains several sites with a sequence termed the Vincennes phase. The Vincennes phase is important because it occurrs during the end of the Late Woodland and the Early Mississippian periods, thus giving insight into the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a sedentary one. By tracing the provenance of ceramics found in the Vincennes phase, it is possible to determine the levels of trade and manufacture occurring during this transition.