Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
1998
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Geology and Geography
Committee Chair
J. Steven Kite.
Abstract
The St. Albans archeologic site, recognized since 1964, occurs on a low terrace of the Kanawha River. Stratigraphic and magnetic susceptibility studies at the site have lead to the development of a model for predicting artifact recovery potential that is important to planning future excavations at the site.;Charcoal fragments, reddened soils and fire-cracked rocks indicate that most high magnetic susceptibility readings are produced by fire. The association of artifacts in many of these high magnetically susceptible sediments indicates they are cultural fire hearths. When executed early, magnetic susceptibilities studies should help archeologists.;The waxing and waning of late Pleistocene glaciation caused aggradation and incision events in the Ohio River valley. The principal mechanism for the development of two low terraces at St. Albans is base-level adjustments to these preceding Ohio River events.;The St. Albans terrace consists of two landforms of different age. The St. Albans Archeologic Site is located on the younger landform with 8.9 m overbank facies overlying a 7.8 m channel-sand facies. Sedimentation at the site began between 9,900 B.P. and 13,750 B.P. Floodplain sedimentation rates suggest a time closer to 9,900 B.P.
Recommended Citation
Nugent, Courtney Andreas, "Late Quaternary fluvial stratigraphy of the St. Albans archeologic site (46KA27), West Virginia" (1998). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 926.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/926