Sedentism and Subsistence in the Late Archaic

Download or read book Sedentism and Subsistence in the Late Archaic written by Alexandra L. Parsons and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: This research evaluates sedentism and the seasonal use of resources during the Late Archaic period in the coastal zone of the Southeastern U.S. Specifically, this research examines sedentism at the Guana shell ring near St. Augustine, Florida, which dates to approximately 3400 cal B.P. This study employs the incremental growth technique to determine the season of death of quahog clams (Mercenaria spp.), a common constituent in the ring matrix. To accurately assess season of death for quahog clams, I gathered a modern comparative clam collection from St. Augustine during every month in 2010. It appears that the maximum acceptable distance between the modern collection and archaeological site in question lies somewhere between 45-80 km. Based on the present results, the maximum acceptable distance may be somewhere around 70 km, but this remains to be tested. This research demonstrates that Guana occupants gathered clams during the winter and spring. Although clam gathering occurred during half of the year, I have proposed that Guana occupants likely remained at the site throughout the year based on seasonality studies at other Late Archaic shell rings. Clam seasonality varied slightly throughout the ring deposit, and may indicate differences in clam use by household groups. Mean clam age and size at Guana declined considerably over time. This suggests that Guana occupants relied heavily on quahog clams and intensively exploited nearby clam beds. Clam collection during the cooler months of winter and spring has been identified at most sites in northeast Florida and throughout the Georgia Bight. Often, clams were gathered exclusively during the cooler months, or they were gathered more intensively during this time. I have proposed that this pattern of cool-weather collection is an adaptation to maximize the returns of gathering clams. Based on my observations while assembling the modern comparative clam collection, clams create small holes in the sand, called keyholes, during cool weather. These keyholes mark the location of a clam, which reduces search time and makes clams less costly to procure. This means that clams are less costly to collect during the cooler months of winter and spring, the seasons during which most clam collection occurred in northeast Florida and throughout the Georgia Bight. This adaptation is likely the cause for the seasonal focus on clam gathering, despite continued occupation at many sites in the Georgia Bight.