Foraging, Farming, and Coastal Biocultural Adaptation in Late Prehistoric North Carolina

Foraging, Farming, and Coastal Biocultural Adaptation in Late Prehistoric North Carolina PDF Author: Dale L. Hutchinson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813024745
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
"A fascinating picture of human adaptation in an area of North America that has been studied primarily by archaeologists . . . [that] provides a new understanding of the responses in health and lifeways in a coastal setting, showing especially the very localized nature of food choices and resource acquisition."--Clark S. Larsen, Ohio State University "This thoughtful integration of archaeological, historical, ecological, and human bioarchaeological data provides a significant new perspective on the biological costs and benefits of Middle and Late Woodland coastal adaptations in North Carolina. By contrasting inner and outer coastal plain communities in terms of specific features of their dietary regimes, subsistence activities, and patterns of skeletal development and pathology, Hutchinson reveals a breadth of successful adaptive variations hitherto obscured by generalized summaries of Late Prehistoric Native American lifeways in the mid-Atlantic region."--Mary Lucas Powell, University of Kentucky Dale Hutchinson provides a detailed bioarchaeological analysis exploring human adaptation in the estuary zone of North Carolina and the influence of coastal foraging during the late prehistoric transition to agriculture. He draws on observations of human skeletal remains to look at nutrition, disease, physical activity, morbidity, and mortality of coastal populations, focusing particularly on changes in nutrition and health associated with the move from foraging to farming. Hutchinson confronts the prevailing notion of a universal agricultural transition by documenting a more variable and complex process of change. Among his notable findings is that skeletal and dental markers long accepted as indicators of corn consumption in fact occur more frequently among coastal foragers than among interior agriculturalists. His research shows that men and women differed not only in their economic roles but in their diets as well, and that outer coastal populations continued to rely on maritime resources without the adoption of corn after A.D. 800, a reliance that almost surely influenced their evolving lifestyle. None of the data in the book has been published previously, and Hutchinson is generous with tables, figures, and appendixes that contribute significantly to the clarity of his interpretations. The combination of original data, well-supported interpretation, and the breadth of evidence from many categories significantly advances our anthropological understanding of the lives of these first North Carolinians. Dale L. Hutchinson is associate professor of anthropology at East Carolina University.

Foraging, Farming, and Coastal Biocultural Adaptation in Late Prehistoric North Carolina

Foraging, Farming, and Coastal Biocultural Adaptation in Late Prehistoric North Carolina PDF Author: Dale L. Hutchinson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813024745
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 275

Get Book Here

Book Description
"A fascinating picture of human adaptation in an area of North America that has been studied primarily by archaeologists . . . [that] provides a new understanding of the responses in health and lifeways in a coastal setting, showing especially the very localized nature of food choices and resource acquisition."--Clark S. Larsen, Ohio State University "This thoughtful integration of archaeological, historical, ecological, and human bioarchaeological data provides a significant new perspective on the biological costs and benefits of Middle and Late Woodland coastal adaptations in North Carolina. By contrasting inner and outer coastal plain communities in terms of specific features of their dietary regimes, subsistence activities, and patterns of skeletal development and pathology, Hutchinson reveals a breadth of successful adaptive variations hitherto obscured by generalized summaries of Late Prehistoric Native American lifeways in the mid-Atlantic region."--Mary Lucas Powell, University of Kentucky Dale Hutchinson provides a detailed bioarchaeological analysis exploring human adaptation in the estuary zone of North Carolina and the influence of coastal foraging during the late prehistoric transition to agriculture. He draws on observations of human skeletal remains to look at nutrition, disease, physical activity, morbidity, and mortality of coastal populations, focusing particularly on changes in nutrition and health associated with the move from foraging to farming. Hutchinson confronts the prevailing notion of a universal agricultural transition by documenting a more variable and complex process of change. Among his notable findings is that skeletal and dental markers long accepted as indicators of corn consumption in fact occur more frequently among coastal foragers than among interior agriculturalists. His research shows that men and women differed not only in their economic roles but in their diets as well, and that outer coastal populations continued to rely on maritime resources without the adoption of corn after A.D. 800, a reliance that almost surely influenced their evolving lifestyle. None of the data in the book has been published previously, and Hutchinson is generous with tables, figures, and appendixes that contribute significantly to the clarity of his interpretations. The combination of original data, well-supported interpretation, and the breadth of evidence from many categories significantly advances our anthropological understanding of the lives of these first North Carolinians. Dale L. Hutchinson is associate professor of anthropology at East Carolina University.

Bioarchaeology

Bioarchaeology PDF Author: Clark Spencer Larsen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316239586
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 657

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Book Description
Now including numerous full colour figures, this updated and revised edition of Larsen's classic text provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of bioarchaeology. Reflecting the enormous advances made in the field over the past twenty years, the author examines how this discipline has matured and evolved in fundamental ways. Jargon free and richly illustrated, the text is accompanied by copious case studies and references to underscore the central role that human remains play in the interpretation of life events and conditions of past and modern cultures. From the origins and spread of infectious disease to the consequences of decisions made by humans with regard to the kinds of foods produced, and their nutritional, health and behavioral outcomes. With local, regional, and global perspectives, this up-to-date text provides a solid foundation for all those working in the field.

Ancient Foodways

Ancient Foodways PDF Author: C. Margaret Scarry
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813070244
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 372

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Book Description
How archaeology can shed light on past foodways and social worlds Through various case studies, Ancient Foodways illustrates how archaeologists can use bioarchaeology, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, architecture, and other evidence to understand how food acquisition, preparation, and consumption intersect with economics, politics, and ritual. Spanning four continents and several millennia of human history, this volume is a comprehensive and contemporary survey of how archaeological data can be used to interpret past foodways and reconstruct past social worlds.  This volume is organized around four major themes: feasting and politics; sacrifice, ritual, and ancestors; diet, landscape, and health; and integrative methods. Contributors weave together multiple threads of evidence relating to plants, animals, craft production, and human health and reconnect the material remnants with behaviors, practices, and meanings. The case studies show the varied and creative ways that multiple sources of evidence can be used to shed light on past foodways.  Ancient Foodways demonstrates how environmental and cultural factors shaped past subsistence strategies and cooking practices and reveals the role food played in shaping cultural identity and exchange networks, while also examining how food production methods can lead to environmental destruction and the detrimental role of dietary constraints on human health. 

Late Prehistoric Florida

Late Prehistoric Florida PDF Author: Keith Ashley
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813043581
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 413

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Book Description
Prehistoric Florida societies, particularly those of the peninsula, have been largely ignored or given only minor consideration in overviews of the Mississippian southeast (A.D. 1000-1600). This groundbreaking volume lifts the veil of uniformity frequently draped over these regions in the literature, providing the first comprehensive examination of Mississippi-period archaeology in the state. Featuring contributions from some of the most prominent researchers in the field, this collection describes and synthesizes the latest data from excavations throughout Florida. In doing so, it reveals a diverse and vibrant collection of cleared-field maize farmers, part-time gardeners, hunter-gatherers, and coastal and riverine fisher/shellfish collectors who formed a distinctive part of the Mississipian southeast.

Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture

Human Bioarchaeology of the Transition to Agriculture PDF Author: Ron Pinhasi
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119956684
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 479

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Book Description
A holistic and comprehensive account of the nature of the transition from hunting to farming in prehistory. It addresses for the first time the main bioarchaeological aspects such as changes in mobility, behaviour, diet and population dynamics. This book is of major interest to the relevant audience since it offers for the first time a global perspective on the bioarchaeology of the transition to agriculture. It includes contributions from world-class researchers, with a particular emphasis on advances in methods (e.g. ancient DNA of pathogens, stable isotope analysis, etc.). The book specifically addresses the following aspects associated with the transition to agriculture in various world regions: Changes in adult and subadult stature and subadult growth profiles Diachronic trends in the analysis of functional morphological structures (craniofacial, vault, lower limbs, etc.) and whether these are associated with change in overall sex-specific morphological variability Changes in mobility Changes in behaviour which can be reconstructed from the study of the skeletal record. These include changes in activity patterns, sexual dimorphism, evidence of inter-personal trauma, and the like. Population dynamics and microevolution by examining intra and inter population variations in dental and cranial metric traits, as well as archaeogenetic studies of ancient DNA (e.g. mtDNA markers).

Archaeology of Domestic Landscapes of the Enslaved in the Caribbean

Archaeology of Domestic Landscapes of the Enslaved in the Caribbean PDF Author: James A. Delle
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 1683403177
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
While previous research on household archaeology in the colonial Caribbean has drawn heavily on artifact analysis, this volume provides the first in-depth examination of the architecture of slave housing during this period. It examines the considerations that went into constructing and inhabiting living spaces for the enslaved and reveals the diversity of people and practices in these settings. Contributors present case studies using written descriptions, period illustrations, and standing architecture, in addition to archaeological evidence to illustrate the wide variety of built environments for enslaved populations in places including Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the islands of the Lesser Antilles. They investigate how the enslaved defined their social positions and identities through house, yard, and garden space; they explore what daily life was like for slaves on military compounds; they compare the spatial arrangements of slave villages on plantations based on type of labor; and they show how the style of traditional laborer houses became a form of vernacular architecture still in use today. This volume expands our understanding of the wide range of enslaved experiences across British, French, Dutch, and Danish colonies. Contributors: Elizabeth C. Clay | James A. Delle | Todd M. Ahlman | Marco Meniketti | Kenneth Kelly | Hayden Bassett | James A. Delle | Kristen R. Fellows | Allan D. Meyers | Elizabeth C. Clay | Alicia Odewale | Meredith D. Hardy | Zachary J. M. Beier | Mark W. Hauser A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series Publication of the paperback edition made possible by a Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Gathering at Silver Glen

Gathering at Silver Glen PDF Author: Gilmore, Zackary I
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813055865
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
Broadening our understanding of southeastern hunter-gatherers who lived between 4600 and 3500 BP, Zackary Gilmore presents evidence that the Late Archaic community of Silver Glen--one of Florida’s most elaborate shell mound complexes--integrated people and places from throughout Florida by staging large-scale feasts and other public events. Gilmore analyzes the composition and style of pottery at the site, revealing that many of the large, elaborately decorated vessels from the shell mounds were imports with nonlocal origins. His findings indicate that the people of Silver Glen frequently hosted large-scale gatherings that helped to create a sense of community among culturally diverse groups with homelands separated by hundreds of kilometers. The history of Florida’s Late Archaic hunter-gatherers is shown here to be much more dynamic than traditionally thought.

The Making of Mississippian Tradition

The Making of Mississippian Tradition PDF Author: Christina M. Friberg
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 1683401891
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
In this volume, Christina Friberg investigates the influence of Cahokia, the largest city of North America’s Mississippian culture between AD 1050 and 1350, on smaller communities throughout the midcontinent. Using evidence from recent excavations at the Audrey-North site in the Lower Illinois River Valley, Friberg examines the cultural give-and-take Audrey inhabitants experienced between new Cahokian customs and old Woodland ways of life. Comparing the architecture, pottery, and lithics uncovered here with data from thirty-five other sites across five different regions, Friberg reveals how the social, economic, and political influence of Cahokia shaped the ways Audrey inhabitants negotiated identities and made new traditions. Friberg’s broad interregional analysis also provides evidence that these diverse groups of people were engaged in a network of interaction and exchange outside Cahokia’s control. The Making of Mississippian Tradition offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of cultural exchange in precolonial settlements, and its detailed reconstruction of Audrey society offers a new, more nuanced interpretation of how and why Mississippian lifeways developed. A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series

The Historical Turn in Southeastern Archaeology

The Historical Turn in Southeastern Archaeology PDF Author: Robbie Ethridge
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 1683401905
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
This volume uses case studies to capture the recent emphasis on history in archaeological reconstructions of America’s deep past. Previously, archaeologists studying “prehistoric” America focused on long-term evolutionary change, imagining ancient societies like living organisms slowly adapting to environmental challenges. Contributors to this volume demonstrate how today’s researchers are incorporating a new awareness that the precolonial era was also shaped by people responding to historical trends and forces. Essays in this volume delve into sites across what is now the United States Southeast—the St. Johns River Valley, the Gulf Coast, Greater Cahokia, Fort Ancient, the southern Appalachians, and the Savannah River Valley. Prominent scholars of the region highlight the complex interplay of events, human decision-making, movements, and structural elements that combined to shape native societies. The research in this volume represents a profound shift in thinking about precolonial and colonial history and begins to erase the false divide between ancient and contemporary America. Contributors: Susan M. Alt | Robin Beck | Eric E. Bowne | Robert A. Cook | Robbie Ethridge | Jon Bernard Marcoux | Timothy R. Pauketat | Thomas J. Pluckhahn | Asa R. Randall | Christopher B. Rodning | Kenneth E. Sassaman | Lynne P. Sullivan | Victor D. Thompson | Neill J. Wallis | John E. Worth A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series

Case Studies in Environmental Archaeology

Case Studies in Environmental Archaeology PDF Author: Elizabeth Reitz
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9780387713960
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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Book Description
This book highlights studies addressing significant anthropological issues in the Americas from the perspective of environmental archaeology. The book uses case studies to resolve questions related to human behavior in the past rather than to demonstrate the application of methods. Each chapter is an original or revised work by an internationally-recognized scientist. This second edition is based on the 1996 book of the same title. The editors have invited back a number of contributors from the first edition to revise and update their chapter. New studies are included in order to cover recent developments in the field or additional pertinent topics.