Spiess and Wilson have produced a comprehensive interdisciplinary site report for the Paleoindian... more Spiess and Wilson have produced a comprehensive interdisciplinary site report for the Paleoindian site of Michaud, including brief summaries of the Lamoreau and Dam sites, in southwestern Maine. The organization is straightforward, beginning with site discovery, followed by description and interpretation of the Michaud site area and assemblage. Long-needed lithic descriptions of site and potential quarry materials particularly will be useful for future researchers. In numerous ways this report is the best northeastern Paleoindian monograph since MacDonald's (Debert, 1968) interdisplinary effort of nearly 20 years ago. The weakest section of the volume is Chapter 7, the summary and discussion section, which appears to have been a hasty addition. It suffers from two major problems: the lack of rigor in citation of shared ideas, conference papers, and published materials, as well as a lack of rigor in dealing with the theoretical issues. The authors have a serious responsibility in citation, since northeastern researchers currently are comfortable with sharing information because they believe they will be credited appropriately. This free exchange will cease if authors are not religious about acknowledgments. Two bodies of work directly relevant to the proposal of a New England-Maritime cultural region were not examined within this chapter. The only major study of Paleoindian-land relationships in late Pleistocene New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces was this reviewer's dissertation, The Spatial Organization of Paleoindian Populations in Late Pleistocene New England (1987). It represents an important alternative approach to many of the same issues. The second significant omission was the only other cultural group definition for the New England area, the Bull Brook Phase, proposed by Grime's et al. (Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:172). Papers subsequently available to Spiess and Wilson expanded this phase definition to encompass a Champlain Lowland lithic-source area and intermediate territorial range (Curian and Grimes, Northeastern Anthropological Association Abstracts 1987:18). The final criticism of the proposed New EnglandMaritime region is that the authors fail to apply stringently their own criteria for distinguishing the New England-Maritime region as a unique entity. They argue for shared "similarities in site location attributes, site size relationships and/or content attributes . . . shared access to a limited number of preferred lithic sources" (p. 129) and similarity in fluted-point stylistics (p. 130). Instead, this cultural area exhibits considerable variation in inferred behaviors, based on the current sample. The authors provide no theoretical scheme for suggesting an underlying unity that is essential to distinguishing this region from its western and Canadian counterparts. Rather, the authors designate two subregional site clusters: (1) Debert/Vail, with associated satellite sites; and (2) the remainder of their sample. As other authors have noted, stylistics overlap between the New England-Maritime region and Michigan and Ontario sites (Deller and Ellis, Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:41-71). Site-location attributes (Deller, Ontario Archaeology 32:3-20) and site sizes (Deller, Ellis, and Kenyon, Studies in Southwestern Ontario, 1985; Storck, Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:286-292) overlap with Ontario, as well. If shared lithic-source areas is a relevant criterion, and one excludes the extreme minority lithics as possible exchange items, the Hanneman site is a cultural isolate and Vail belongs in Cluster 2. Current information suggests that the Debert site is an isolate as well, though this bears further study, as indicated by the authors. At present, the attribute of shared lithic-source areas is the variable that most clearly distinguishes this cultural area. One cannot expect a preconceived theoretical structure for a project that began as site salvage. However, one should have a clear theoretical framework if one intends to present a major synthesis of currently available data. Such a structure is not evident in this chapter. The Michaud volume is an excellent site report; its theoretical section is weak. Its usefulness will thus lie in the former.
The Hanging Valley site (13HR28) is a stratified Woodland burial locale in Harrison County, Iowa.... more The Hanging Valley site (13HR28) is a stratified Woodland burial locale in Harrison County, Iowa. This study reports on the excavation and analyses of floral and faunal remains, artifacts and features identified from salvage work conducted in 1983. The conclusions are: (1) Holocene alluvium in the site valley co"elates with the Hatcher and Camp Creek members of the De Forest Fonnation; (2) the site is situated in a "hanging valley" and is buried in one of several/ate Holocene gully fills co"elated with the Hatcher Member; (3) floral and faunal analyses suggest an open setting during use of the site area along with the exploitation of diverse habitats; (4) human skeletal material from seven individuals indicates conditions of periodic nutritional stress; and (5) one individual was apparently scalped, raising questions about possible hostility during Middle Woodland times. The findings at 13HR28 suggest that a previously postulated aggregate band level of society on the Prairies and Plains may be of little consequence in understanding Loess Hills prehistory; rather, there may have been a less complex but specific cultural adaptation to the Western Loess Hills during the Middle Woodland period.
Freshwater mussel shells were analyzed from three Late Prehistoric Glenwood culture sites (A.D. 1... more Freshwater mussel shells were analyzed from three Late Prehistoric Glenwood culture sites (A.D. 1250 – 1400) in western Iowa. Shells were identified to the species level and all modified shells were segregated for additional analysis and description. Shells of specific shape and texture were selected for some tool types. A newly described tool, referred to as pigment applicators, are described and were successfully replicated through experimental application. The current analysis of shell assemblages is compared to the nearby Wall Ridge site.
Supporting tabular data for "Late Holocene Shellfish Exploitation in the Upper Mississippi R... more Supporting tabular data for "Late Holocene Shellfish Exploitation in the Upper Mississippi River Valley" by James L. Theler and Matthew G. Hill
Analysis of ∼47,500 freshwater mussel shells, representing 34 taxa, recovered from late Holocene ... more Analysis of ∼47,500 freshwater mussel shells, representing 34 taxa, recovered from late Holocene archaeological sites located along the Upper Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin affords the opportunity to address variation in exploitation of shellfish by Woodland Tradition foragers (ca. 2,000-900 B.P.) and Oneota Tradition agriculturalists (ca. 800-500 B.P.). Woodland foragers targeted dense beds from which large numbers of mussels could be harvested relatively quickly. It is hypothesized that meat from mussels was dried, packaged, and transported to interior, upland locations to help alleviate anticipated food-resource deficits in the winter. Oneota agriculturalists harvested mussels in modest numbers from variety of riverine contexts for food and preferentially collected thick to medium-thick shelled taxa to serve as a source of temper in pottery manufacture.
The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States offers a case study for the transition f... more The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States offers a case study for the transition from hunter-gatherer (Late Woodland Effigy Mound) to agricultural (Oneota) societies between ca. A.D. 950 and 1150, a period that coincided with northward expansion of Middle Mississippian cultures from the American Bottom. Previous studies have not adequately explained the regional disappearance of Effigy Mound cultures, the appearance of Oneota cultures, or the cultural changes that occurred during this period. Our analysis considers ecological (deer and firewood) and cultural (population packing, community organization, hunting technology, and warfare) factors to develop a testable model applicable to broader regions. We propose that increasing Late Woodland populations reached the region's “packing threshold,” disrupting a flexible seasonal round based on residential mobility and triggering shortages of two essential resources, white-tailed deer and firewood, which in turn led Late Woodland groups to abandon vast portions of the Driftless Area. The intrusion of Middle Mississippian peoples from the south created additional disruption and conflict. Remnant Woodland and Mississippian peoples amalgamated briefly in the region's first villages, which were palisaded. After A.D. 1150, Oneota cultures emerged, reoccupying specific localities in clustered settlements.
Well-preserved aragonitic land snail shells (Vallonia) from late Pleistocene Eolian sediment in t... more Well-preserved aragonitic land snail shells (Vallonia) from late Pleistocene Eolian sediment in the Folsom archaeological site in New Mexico exhibit an overall decrease of y 18 O PDB from maximum values of +2.7x (more positive than modern) to younger samples with lower average values of about À3.6x (within the modern range). The age of the samples (approximately 10,500 14 C yr B.P.) suggests that the decrease in y 18 O may manifest climatic changes associated with the Younger Dryas. Some combination of increased relative humidity and cooler temperatures with decreased y 18 O of precipitation during the times of snail activity can explain the decrease in shell y 18 O. A wellknown Paleoindian bison kill occurred at the Folsom site during this inferred environmental transition. Average y 13 C values of the aragonite shells of the fossil Vallonia range from À7.3 to À6.0x among different archaeological levels and are not as negative as modern values. This suggests that the proportion of C 4 vegetation at the Folsom site approximately 10,500 14 C yr B.P. was greater than at present; a result which is consistent with other evidence for higher proportions of C 4 plants in the region at that time.
Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, Jul 1, 2015
The progression of archaeology in the midcontinent over the past 40 years has moved on a series o... more The progression of archaeology in the midcontinent over the past 40 years has moved on a series of different but overlapping fronts: regional, governmental, institutional, disciplinary, and personal. This collection of thoughts by both longtime and relatively young practitioners of our field suggests the many ways that archaeology has changed for the good—and maybe not so good—depending on our own experiences. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology (MCJA) has changed along with these developments. Part I of this discussion centered on the need for, and foundation of, MCJA. Part II is more diverse, with the archaeologists who have participated in the field for the last 40 years reflecting on the shifts in archaeology within their regions—both in terms of practice and institutional practices. The forces of national economics and academic politics and the changing sensibilities toward our public constituencies described here are themes that continue to influence us today.
Spiess and Wilson have produced a comprehensive interdisciplinary site report for the Paleoindian... more Spiess and Wilson have produced a comprehensive interdisciplinary site report for the Paleoindian site of Michaud, including brief summaries of the Lamoreau and Dam sites, in southwestern Maine. The organization is straightforward, beginning with site discovery, followed by description and interpretation of the Michaud site area and assemblage. Long-needed lithic descriptions of site and potential quarry materials particularly will be useful for future researchers. In numerous ways this report is the best northeastern Paleoindian monograph since MacDonald's (Debert, 1968) interdisplinary effort of nearly 20 years ago. The weakest section of the volume is Chapter 7, the summary and discussion section, which appears to have been a hasty addition. It suffers from two major problems: the lack of rigor in citation of shared ideas, conference papers, and published materials, as well as a lack of rigor in dealing with the theoretical issues. The authors have a serious responsibility in citation, since northeastern researchers currently are comfortable with sharing information because they believe they will be credited appropriately. This free exchange will cease if authors are not religious about acknowledgments. Two bodies of work directly relevant to the proposal of a New England-Maritime cultural region were not examined within this chapter. The only major study of Paleoindian-land relationships in late Pleistocene New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces was this reviewer's dissertation, The Spatial Organization of Paleoindian Populations in Late Pleistocene New England (1987). It represents an important alternative approach to many of the same issues. The second significant omission was the only other cultural group definition for the New England area, the Bull Brook Phase, proposed by Grime's et al. (Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:172). Papers subsequently available to Spiess and Wilson expanded this phase definition to encompass a Champlain Lowland lithic-source area and intermediate territorial range (Curian and Grimes, Northeastern Anthropological Association Abstracts 1987:18). The final criticism of the proposed New EnglandMaritime region is that the authors fail to apply stringently their own criteria for distinguishing the New England-Maritime region as a unique entity. They argue for shared "similarities in site location attributes, site size relationships and/or content attributes . . . shared access to a limited number of preferred lithic sources" (p. 129) and similarity in fluted-point stylistics (p. 130). Instead, this cultural area exhibits considerable variation in inferred behaviors, based on the current sample. The authors provide no theoretical scheme for suggesting an underlying unity that is essential to distinguishing this region from its western and Canadian counterparts. Rather, the authors designate two subregional site clusters: (1) Debert/Vail, with associated satellite sites; and (2) the remainder of their sample. As other authors have noted, stylistics overlap between the New England-Maritime region and Michigan and Ontario sites (Deller and Ellis, Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:41-71). Site-location attributes (Deller, Ontario Archaeology 32:3-20) and site sizes (Deller, Ellis, and Kenyon, Studies in Southwestern Ontario, 1985; Storck, Archaeology of Eastern North America 12:286-292) overlap with Ontario, as well. If shared lithic-source areas is a relevant criterion, and one excludes the extreme minority lithics as possible exchange items, the Hanneman site is a cultural isolate and Vail belongs in Cluster 2. Current information suggests that the Debert site is an isolate as well, though this bears further study, as indicated by the authors. At present, the attribute of shared lithic-source areas is the variable that most clearly distinguishes this cultural area. One cannot expect a preconceived theoretical structure for a project that began as site salvage. However, one should have a clear theoretical framework if one intends to present a major synthesis of currently available data. Such a structure is not evident in this chapter. The Michaud volume is an excellent site report; its theoretical section is weak. Its usefulness will thus lie in the former.
The Hanging Valley site (13HR28) is a stratified Woodland burial locale in Harrison County, Iowa.... more The Hanging Valley site (13HR28) is a stratified Woodland burial locale in Harrison County, Iowa. This study reports on the excavation and analyses of floral and faunal remains, artifacts and features identified from salvage work conducted in 1983. The conclusions are: (1) Holocene alluvium in the site valley co"elates with the Hatcher and Camp Creek members of the De Forest Fonnation; (2) the site is situated in a "hanging valley" and is buried in one of several/ate Holocene gully fills co"elated with the Hatcher Member; (3) floral and faunal analyses suggest an open setting during use of the site area along with the exploitation of diverse habitats; (4) human skeletal material from seven individuals indicates conditions of periodic nutritional stress; and (5) one individual was apparently scalped, raising questions about possible hostility during Middle Woodland times. The findings at 13HR28 suggest that a previously postulated aggregate band level of society on the Prairies and Plains may be of little consequence in understanding Loess Hills prehistory; rather, there may have been a less complex but specific cultural adaptation to the Western Loess Hills during the Middle Woodland period.
Freshwater mussel shells were analyzed from three Late Prehistoric Glenwood culture sites (A.D. 1... more Freshwater mussel shells were analyzed from three Late Prehistoric Glenwood culture sites (A.D. 1250 – 1400) in western Iowa. Shells were identified to the species level and all modified shells were segregated for additional analysis and description. Shells of specific shape and texture were selected for some tool types. A newly described tool, referred to as pigment applicators, are described and were successfully replicated through experimental application. The current analysis of shell assemblages is compared to the nearby Wall Ridge site.
Supporting tabular data for "Late Holocene Shellfish Exploitation in the Upper Mississippi R... more Supporting tabular data for "Late Holocene Shellfish Exploitation in the Upper Mississippi River Valley" by James L. Theler and Matthew G. Hill
Analysis of ∼47,500 freshwater mussel shells, representing 34 taxa, recovered from late Holocene ... more Analysis of ∼47,500 freshwater mussel shells, representing 34 taxa, recovered from late Holocene archaeological sites located along the Upper Mississippi River in southwestern Wisconsin affords the opportunity to address variation in exploitation of shellfish by Woodland Tradition foragers (ca. 2,000-900 B.P.) and Oneota Tradition agriculturalists (ca. 800-500 B.P.). Woodland foragers targeted dense beds from which large numbers of mussels could be harvested relatively quickly. It is hypothesized that meat from mussels was dried, packaged, and transported to interior, upland locations to help alleviate anticipated food-resource deficits in the winter. Oneota agriculturalists harvested mussels in modest numbers from variety of riverine contexts for food and preferentially collected thick to medium-thick shelled taxa to serve as a source of temper in pottery manufacture.
The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States offers a case study for the transition f... more The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwestern United States offers a case study for the transition from hunter-gatherer (Late Woodland Effigy Mound) to agricultural (Oneota) societies between ca. A.D. 950 and 1150, a period that coincided with northward expansion of Middle Mississippian cultures from the American Bottom. Previous studies have not adequately explained the regional disappearance of Effigy Mound cultures, the appearance of Oneota cultures, or the cultural changes that occurred during this period. Our analysis considers ecological (deer and firewood) and cultural (population packing, community organization, hunting technology, and warfare) factors to develop a testable model applicable to broader regions. We propose that increasing Late Woodland populations reached the region's “packing threshold,” disrupting a flexible seasonal round based on residential mobility and triggering shortages of two essential resources, white-tailed deer and firewood, which in turn led Late Woodland groups to abandon vast portions of the Driftless Area. The intrusion of Middle Mississippian peoples from the south created additional disruption and conflict. Remnant Woodland and Mississippian peoples amalgamated briefly in the region's first villages, which were palisaded. After A.D. 1150, Oneota cultures emerged, reoccupying specific localities in clustered settlements.
Well-preserved aragonitic land snail shells (Vallonia) from late Pleistocene Eolian sediment in t... more Well-preserved aragonitic land snail shells (Vallonia) from late Pleistocene Eolian sediment in the Folsom archaeological site in New Mexico exhibit an overall decrease of y 18 O PDB from maximum values of +2.7x (more positive than modern) to younger samples with lower average values of about À3.6x (within the modern range). The age of the samples (approximately 10,500 14 C yr B.P.) suggests that the decrease in y 18 O may manifest climatic changes associated with the Younger Dryas. Some combination of increased relative humidity and cooler temperatures with decreased y 18 O of precipitation during the times of snail activity can explain the decrease in shell y 18 O. A wellknown Paleoindian bison kill occurred at the Folsom site during this inferred environmental transition. Average y 13 C values of the aragonite shells of the fossil Vallonia range from À7.3 to À6.0x among different archaeological levels and are not as negative as modern values. This suggests that the proportion of C 4 vegetation at the Folsom site approximately 10,500 14 C yr B.P. was greater than at present; a result which is consistent with other evidence for higher proportions of C 4 plants in the region at that time.
Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, Jul 1, 2015
The progression of archaeology in the midcontinent over the past 40 years has moved on a series o... more The progression of archaeology in the midcontinent over the past 40 years has moved on a series of different but overlapping fronts: regional, governmental, institutional, disciplinary, and personal. This collection of thoughts by both longtime and relatively young practitioners of our field suggests the many ways that archaeology has changed for the good—and maybe not so good—depending on our own experiences. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology (MCJA) has changed along with these developments. Part I of this discussion centered on the need for, and foundation of, MCJA. Part II is more diverse, with the archaeologists who have participated in the field for the last 40 years reflecting on the shifts in archaeology within their regions—both in terms of practice and institutional practices. The forces of national economics and academic politics and the changing sensibilities toward our public constituencies described here are themes that continue to influence us today.
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