Water Valley in Yalobusha County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

James Ford

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 1, 2023

1. James Ford Marker

Inscription. Born in Water Valley, James Ford (1911- 1968) was a pioneer in archaeology. Conducting extensive surveys across the Southeast, including the Mississippi Delta, he created a technique for dating sites using ceramic seriation. He also worked in Colombia and Peru. Ford's field and lab methods modernized American archaeology.

Erected 2013 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Anthropology & Archaeology. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.

Location. 34° 9.084′ N, 89° 37.893′ W. Marker is in Water Valley, Mississippi, in Yalobusha County. It is on North Main Street (Mississippi Route 315) north of Panola Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 213 N Main St, Water Valley MS 38965, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the North Mississippi Hills. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cradle of North Mississippi Methodism (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Turnage Drugstore (about 400 feet away); Casey Jones (about 400 feet away); Hubert Creekmore (about 500 feet away); Dallas Jones Crossing

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(approx. 4.8 miles away); Theora Hamblett (approx. 9.3 miles away); Mississippi Central R.R. Campaign (approx. 10.6 miles away); Battle of Coffeeville (approx. 11.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Water Valley.

Also see . . . James Ford (1911–1968) Archaeologist. Ford is perhaps best known for the technique of ceramic seriation, which resulted in the first relative chronology of American Indian cultures across the Southeast. (Maureen Meyers, Mississippi Encyclopedia, posted Aug. 18, 2021) (Submitted on April 5, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 1, 2023

2. James Ford Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 5, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 5, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.