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Mark Cole

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Author of many local and regional papers and presentations on the Paleoindian period, Civil War, and pre-1820 Alabama. Financial Manager in the Huntsville, Alabama Defense sector with interest in Alabama History and Archaeology, of North Alabama.
Address: Huntsville, Alabama, United States

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Videos by Mark Cole

Early Paleoindian Settlement and Site Preference in Limestone and Madison Counties, Northern Alabama - Mark Cole Southeastern Archaeological Conference, November 7, 2019, Jackson, Mississippi

Early Paleoindians in North Alabama exploited resources using systematic techniques, yet the pred... more Early Paleoindians in North Alabama exploited resources using systematic techniques, yet the prediction of intact sites remains elusive. Analysis of the spatial distribution of fluted points, combined with raw material use, reveals that the densest sites focus on landforms that offer one or more secondary geographic features (resources). Findings suggest an affinity for drainage corridors with additional properties added during the foraging cycle, resulting in resource exploitation across watersheds in a circular pattern. It is hoped this study will assist in the early identification of intact sites for further research. This paper was presented as part of the symposium New Research and New Directions in Paleoindian Research in Southeastern North America: Papers in Honor of Charles M. Hubbert.

188 views

The Quad Site - The Origin of Paleoindian Research in Alabama

Presentation given to the Muscle Shoals Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society at the Flor... more

56 views

Paleoindian Raw Material in North Alabama

Presentation for the Florence/Muscle Shoals Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society in Marc... more

35 views

Papers by Mark Cole

An Annotated Bibliography of Paleoindian Research in Alabama

TBD, Journal of Alabama Archaeology

An update to my earlier manuscript summarizing most of the research on the Paleoindian Period in ... more An update to my earlier manuscript summarizing most of the research on the Paleoindian Period in Alabama as of 2023. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the journal articles, drafts, thesis and gray literature on the Paleoindian sites in Alabama, along with a brief descriptive narrative of the resource. This document captures many of the more useful resources on the Dalton culture in Alabama where it occurs with other early point types. Readers are cautioned more work exists on exclusively Dalton and later sites this subject than time, scope and space allow. Still, it is hoped this manuscript will assist future researchers in pinpointing the specific works most useful to their study.

The Swan Creek Paleoindian Site

A Remarkable Fluted Point from North Alabama

Stones and Bones, 2021

For over half a century, an interesting Cumberland fluted point was stored in a five gallon bucke... more

You Just Never Know

My niece Chelsea Smith and I were running on a large farm near Madison, Alabama when she noticed ... more My niece Chelsea Smith and I were running on a large farm near Madison, Alabama when she noticed some pieces of flint in the field beside the road. She asked me if we might find an arrowhead while we were there, and I told her that it was unlikely, but "you just never know" and we kept running. Her question caused my mind to flash to numerous kitchen table and back patio conversations with multiple collectors and the remarkable stories behind some of the pieces. The discussion continued until I saved her from stepping on a copperhead, and for some reason after that it switched to how much longer we would be there. Nevertheless, by the time we got back to the truck, I knew I wanted to share some of these stories with our members.

Some Interesting Facts from the Alabama State Site File

Stones and Bones, 2005

Little known facts about Native American site locations based on data from the Alabama State Site... more

A Group of Important United States and Confederate Military Buttons from North Alabama

Self, 2022

This article provides details on the recovery of five rare and important military buttons by meta... more This article provides details on the recovery of five rare and important military buttons by metal detectorists in Limestone County, Alabama. The author is currently working on a collaborative report on Civil War sites with the collecting community in his region, in hopes that other collectors and historians can follow suit and leave a record of this hobby and its rewards for the next generation.

The Heaven’s Half Acre Paleoindian Locality

Academia Letters, 2021

Early Paleoindian Settlement and Site Preference in Limestone and Madison Counties, Northern Alabama

Unpublished SEAC Presentation, 2019

Early Paleoindians in North Alabama exploited resources using systematic techniques, yet the pred... more Early Paleoindians in North Alabama exploited resources using systematic techniques, yet the prediction of intact sites remains elusive. Analysis of the spatial distribution of fluted points, combined with raw material use, reveals that the densest sites focus on landforms that offer one or more secondary geographic features (resources). Findings suggest an affinity for drainage corridors with additional properties added during the foraging cycle, resulting in resource exploitation across watersheds in a circular pattern. It is hoped this study will assist in the early identification of intact sites for further research.

Book Review: The Long Road to Mabila by Charles E. Moore

Stones and Bones, 2021

Scraper Hill (1Ma67) -The Role of the Avocational Archaeologist

Stones and Bones, 2017

Paper for the Alabama Archaeological Society's newsletter, Stones and Bones.

Extraordinary Artifacts from the Greenbrier Site (1Li572)

Stones and Bones, 2018

Paper for Stones and Bones, the newsletter of the Alabama Archaeological Society

The Legendary History of a Humble Hollow in Lauderdale County, Alabama

Stones and Bones, 2019

The remnants of historical events are often well marked in cities - buildings and plaques provide... more The remnants of historical events are often well marked in cities - buildings and plaques provide tangible glimpses into the past - a record of the level of importance placed on an item or event. But often historical properties are not marked, tactile or visible using our eyes and ears, and require some nudging before they reveal their secrets. This is the case of the Cole Farm, located in a Lauderdale County hollow at the confluence of Camp Branch and Bluewater Creek, four and a half miles southwest of Lexington, Alabama.

Reflections on the Heaven's Half Acre Complex

Unpublished, 2004

Unpublished manuscript on the Heaven's Half Acre Complex, one of the most important and understud... more

Fort Hampton the Riflemen and the Mississippi Territory Frontier 1808-1817

Unpublished, 2020

The decade prior to 1820, the horizon of the formation of the State of Alabama, remains one of th... more The decade prior to 1820, the horizon of the formation of the State of Alabama, remains one of the most important periods in its history, and yet one of the least studied. This is primarily due to the preexisting gulf between primary documents, rare books and newspapers, and the researchers that use them, particularly local authors. The topic of Fort Hampton specifically has been touched on by several authors, though few have gone in depth on its purpose, function or the soldiers that occupied it 1. The authors of this manuscript became interested Fort Hampton and the early history of the State only after a provenanced collection of artifacts from the site was made available for study.

A Remarkable Site in Limestone County, Alabama

Stones and Bones, 2020

Fun article on surface collecting published in the Alabama Archaeological Society's newsletter, S... more

A Historic Lawrence County Alabama Petroglyph

Stones and Bones, 2020

Alabama Archaeological Society newsletter report on the analysis of a reported petroglyph and the... more

A Chronicle of the Alabama Archaeological Society from 1954 to 1961

Journal of Alabama Archaeology, 2017

If archaeology can be defined as the study of human history through the analysis of physical rema... more If archaeology can be defined as the study of human history through the analysis of physical remains, this is an archaeological report on the Alabama Archaeological Society. The Society has a rich history dating back to the early 1950s, when a small group of researchers in Decatur, Alabama began to apply scientific standards to their Native American artifact collecting hobby in order to document the archaeology of the state of Alabama. The product of this change was a Society nationally recognized for unprecedented cooperation between professional archaeologists, collectors, and the public (DeJarnette 1964, Walthall 1980).

In the sixty plus years since its formation, the Alabama Archaeological Society and its members have added considerably to the archaeological record of Alabama both individually and cooperatively, and its publications are widely circulated and referenced. This report focuses on the origin of the Society, its early organization, pivotal early projects and brief biographies of several influential early officers. It is pieced together from a number of ephemeral sources - the Alabama Archaeological Society archives, curated at the Birmingham Public Library were a primary source of material, supplemented by interviews with some of the early members of the Society, period copies of the society’s newsletter, Stones and Bones, and annual reports from the Eastern States Archaeological Federation.

Fifty Years of the Quad Site

Paleoindian Settlement in Limestone County, Alabama

The purpose of this paper is to help the reader understand the general envi-rons of Paleoindian s... more The purpose of this paper is to help the reader understand the general envi-rons of Paleoindian sites in the Middle Tennessee Valley, specifically in Limestone County, Alabama, as well as some of the history surrounding them. It is common knowledge that these sites exist in large numbers and varieties in this area, but little has been written on the subject. It is hoped that by providing this information an interest in the study, excavation, reporting, and preservation of these important sites can be accomplished.

Drafts by Mark Cole

Towards a Hierarchy of Civil War Bullet Rarity

Since the mid-1960s, several American Civil War bullet experts have contributed a number of impor... more Since the mid-1960s, several American Civil War bullet experts have contributed a number of important compilations of photographs and measurements for use in the collector community. Generally, the research and documentation required for these types of publications takes years to compile and reflects a unique passion for the study of early projectiles. What is typically not shared is the rarity of one example to another, a product of the research of advanced collectors. Expanding this knowledge would allow anyone to evaluate the historical impact of any specimen whether it was recovered in the field or purchased. In this report, a panel of Civil War bullet experts was polled in hopes of creating a hierarchy of Civil War bullets that will standardize terminology and distinctly communicate the scarcity of specimens in collections.