The Middle Missouri Tradition Reappraised

Abstract

The geographic distribution of the Horizons within the Middle Missouri Tradition are now well established but temporal and cultural relationships are not entirely clear.     

The Middle Missouri Tradition: the Late Stage

Abstract

Two prehistoric complexes in the northern part of the Middle Missouri area, the Thomas Riggs and Huff Foci, comprise the late stage of the Middle Missouri Tradition. Although transitional sites are as yet lacking, this late stage is regarded as an outgrowth of the early stages of the same tradition, localized further south along the Missouri River in South Dakota. The Huff Focus postdates the Thomas Riggs Focus and is a direct outgrowth of Thomas Riggs, both foci being assigned to the Fire Heart Aspect. This aspect is the prehistoric antecedent for the Heart River Focus, the protohistoric express ion of Historic Mandan culture. Brief comments are offeredon the history, or1g1ns, distribution, characteristics, dating, and relationships of the Thomas Riggs and Huff Foci.     

Comparison of the mortality profiles of Archaic, Middle Woodland, and Middle Mississippian skeletal populations

Mortality profiles were constructed for four American Indian skeletal populations for the purpose of comparing the frequencies of deaths at given ages between and within the populations. An interpretation of the differential mortality frequencies is then possible. Selected for study were the Archaic population from Indian Knoll, Kentucky, an Illinois Archaic series and a Middle Woodland Hopewellian population, both from the Klunk Mounds in southwestern Illinois, and a Middle Mississippian population from Dickson Mounds, Illinois. It was found that in the Archaic populations there were significantly higher percentages of deaths throughout the first three decades than among either the Hopewell or Middle Mississippian populations. Although the mortality profiles of the latter two groups more closely approximated each other, the average age at death was greater for the Hopewellian population. Suggested are different behavioral adjustments to stress. However, with a few notable exceptions, the fluctuations in the frequencies of death follow similar profiles in the mortality curves, indicating that common to all four populations were certain ages at which time death was more likely to occur. Various interpretations are offered to explain these periods of greater mortality.     

The structure of V alpha and J alpha segments in the mouse.

Antigen receptors on most T-cells are heterodimeric glycoproteins, comprised of an alpha chain and a beta chain. These chains are encoded by discontiguous variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) gene segments that rearrange to produce a contiguous and functional alpha or beta chain gene. To investigate the size and diversity of the germline repertoire of alpha-chain gene segments, we have characterized and sequenced 20 alpha chain cDNAs. Among these cDNA clones, we have found 4 J alpha and 4 V alpha sequences that have not yet been described. The relationship of these "new" gene segments to those already characterized is discussed.