Antiquities of the Southern Indians, Particularly of the Georgia Tribes

Charles C. Jones' classic work of Southeastern archaeology and ethnohistory was the result of observations on his extensive collection (nearly 20,000 specimens in the 1890s), his field observations, and his correspondence with other researchers and scholars of the time. In the book, he documents a number of archaeological sites (such as Stallings Island and Etowah) and describes objects in the collection in comparison to similar items found throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Moreover, he endeavors to link the material features and remains to living native populations through a direct historical approach. Thus, Jones' work is a good source for Southeastern ethnohistoric data. As a preface to the book, Jones (1873: xxxvii - xxxix) wrote the following: "Although the title intimates that our investigations have been directed principally to an examination of the antiquities of a single State, the present work will be found to embrace within its scope a much more extended field of observation. In prosecuting the proposed inquiries, it appeared both unnecessary and improper narrowly to observe the boundary-lines which separate modern States. It will be remembered, moreover, that the original grant from the British crown conveyed to the Trustees of the Colony of Georgia a territory greater by far than that now embraced within the geographical limits accorded to her as a State. A striking similarity exists among the customs, utensils, implements, and ornaments of all the Southern Indians : consequently, in elucidating the archaeology of a region often occupied in turn by various tribes, it seemed appropriate to mention and contrast the antiquities of Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Our object has been, from the earliest and most authentic sources of information at command, to convey a correct impression of the location, characteristics, form of government, social relations, manufactures, domestic economy, diversions, and customs of the Southern Indians, at the time of primal contact between them and the Europeans. This introductory part of the work is followed by an examination of tumuli, earthworks, and various relics obtained from burial-mounds, gathered amid refuse-piles, found in ancient graves, and picked up in cultivated fields and on the sites of old villages and fishing-resorts. Whenever these could be interpreted in the light of early recorded observations, or were capable of explanation by customs not obsolete at the dawn of the historic period, the authorities relied upon have been carefully noted. The accompanying plans of mounds were prepared from personal surveys, and nearly every typical object used in illustration may be seen in the author's collection. Most of these relics were obtained by me in situ. They are now figured for the first time. To the friends who have kindly aided me in gathering together a cabinet which so fully and beautifully represents the arts and the manufactures of these primitive peoples, I here renew my cordial and grateful acknowledgments. Prepared at irregular intervals and in odd moments as they could be borrowed from the exacting and ever-recurring engagements of an active professional life, these pages, with their manifest shortcomings, are offered in the hope that they will, at least in some degree, minister to the information and pleasure of those who are not incurious with regard to the subject of American archaeology."查尔斯·C·琼斯（Charles C. Jones）关于美国东南部考古学与民族史的经典著作，其研究基础涵盖了他在19世纪90年代积累的近2万件馆藏标本、实地考察记录，以及与当时其他研究者和学者的通信往来。在这部著作中，琼斯记录了包括斯坦林斯岛（Stallings Island）与埃托瓦（Etowah）在内的多处考古遗址，并将馆藏文物与美国东南部及中西部地区出土的同类器物进行对比描述。此外，他尝试通过直接历史法将物质文化遗存与现存原住民族群建立关联，因此该著作堪称东南部民族史资料的优质参考来源。作为本书序言，琼斯（1873：xxxvii-xxxix）曾写道："尽管本书标题暗示，我们的研究主要聚焦于单一州的古代遗存，实则本书的涵盖范围远超于此。在开展既定研究时，刻意拘泥于现代州界既无必要，也不妥当。需要说明的是，英国王室最初授予佐治亚殖民地托管委员会的领地范围，远超如今佐治亚州的地理边界。所有南部印第安族群的习俗、器物、工具与装饰均存在显著共性，因此在研究这片曾先后被多个部落占据的区域的考古学时，提及并对比弗吉尼亚、卡罗来纳、佛罗里达、阿拉巴马、密西西比、路易斯安那和田纳西的古代遗存，便显得尤为合理。我们的目标是，依托可获取的最早且最可靠的信息来源，准确呈现南部印第安族群在与欧洲人首次接触时的聚落位置、文化特征、政体形式、社会关系、手工业生产、家庭经济、娱乐活动与风俗习惯。本书的绪论部分之后，将对坟冢、土方工程以及从墓葬土丘、垃圾堆积层、古代墓葬中发掘，或是在耕地、古村落遗址与渔猎营地采集到的各类遗物展开考察。凡可通过早期文字记录加以阐释，或可通过历史初期仍未失传的习俗加以说明的遗物，所援引的权威资料均已仔细标注。随书附带的坟冢测绘图均由作者亲自勘测绘制，书中用于说明的典型器物几乎均可在作者馆藏中找到。其中绝大多数遗物均为作者原位发掘所得，亦是首次以图像刊布。借此机会，我谨向所有曾慷慨相助、帮我收集起这套完整展现这些原始族群艺术与手工业风貌的馆藏的友人，致以诚挚的谢意。本书的撰写断断续续，均利用我繁忙职业之余的闲暇时间完成，虽存在诸多不足之处，但仍希望能为那些对美国考古学抱有兴趣的读者提供些许信息与乐趣。"