The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an important proxy for examining historical traject... more The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an important proxy for examining historical trajectories of coastal ecosystems. Measurement of ~40,000 oyster shells from archaeological sites along the Atlantic Coast of the United States provides a long-term record of oyster abundance and size. The data demonstrate increases in oyster size across time and a nonrandom pattern in their distributions across sites. We attribute this variation to processes related to Native American fishing rights and environmental variability. Mean oyster length is correlated with total oyster bed length within foraging radii (5 and 10 km) as mapped in 1889 and 1890. These data demonstrate the stability of oyster reefs despite different population densities and environmental shifts and have implications for oyster reef restoration in an age of global climate change.
Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populati... more Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populations, will distribute themselves across the landscape such that resource access is optimized. However, links between ecology and human responses to it are not always straightforward, especially during periods of climate change when people often act based on incomplete information and for reasons not connected directly to ecological output. Here, we analyze archaeological site distribution across the coastal plains of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to test the roles that both ecology and knowledge of a region, as estimated based on past site occupations, played in human decision making during the Middle and Late Archaic periods. These periods correlate to substantial climatic, environmental and ecological change during the middle Holocene and beginning of the late Holocene. We find that IFD models that include both ecological variables and past landscape use fit both cultural periods, but to different degrees.
Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, ... more Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; dreher et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context.
Five thousand–year history of Native American oyster harvesting practices provides insight into m... more Five thousand–year history of Native American oyster harvesting practices provides insight into modern oyster reef restoration.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Aug 30, 2018
Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic Period (ca. 8000-3000 cal B.P.) is a ... more Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic Period (ca. 8000-3000 cal B.P.) is a bellwether of emergent social complexity in the Eastern Woodlands. Originating from the Great Lakes, the Canadian Maritimes, and the Appalachian Mountains, Archaic-age copper is found in significant amounts as far south as Tennessee and in isolated pockets at major trade centers in Louisiana but is absent from most of the southeastern United States. Here we report the discovery of a copper band found with the cremated remains of at least seven individuals buried in the direct center of a Late Archaic shell ring located in coastal Georgia. Late Archaic shell rings are massive circular middens thought to be constructed, in part, during large-scale ritual gatherings and feasting events. The exotic copper and cremated remains are unique in coastal South Carolina and Georgia where Archaic-age cremations are conspicuously absent and no other Archaic copper objects have been reported. Elemental...
First International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy Expanded Abstracts
Among archaeologists using remote sensing there is tremendous potential for the use of deep learn... more Among archaeologists using remote sensing there is tremendous potential for the use of deep learning models for the prospection of archaeological features. The need for relatively large training datasets, technical expertise, and computational requirements, however, has slowed the adoption of these techniques. Here, we train a series of deep learning models using two different model architectures (i.e., single-stage and dual-stage) to detect shell rings, a circular midden feature that is found across the American Southeast. Native American groups constructed these features during the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.). These deposits offer important information about pre-European contact socioeconomic organization among Native American groups (Figure 1). In the coastal area of the Atlantic, however, these features are relatively rare: only about 50 shell rings have been documented by archaeologists to date. To expand our knowledge of these features, we test RetinaNet and Mask-RCNN deep learning models as means of detecting shell rings from wide-area LiDAR data using extremely small training datasets. We demonstrate that the use of "negative" training data to identify non-archaeological features helps to improve model performance. Furthermore, we show that while popular dual-stage detectors like Mask R-CNN perform better than single-stage models like RetinaNet, single-stage models still achieve acceptable levels of accuracy and require a fraction of the computational and time requirements of dual-stage detectors.
In the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.), Native American groups constructed shell rings, a type ... more In the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.), Native American groups constructed shell rings, a type of circular midden, in coastal areas of the American Southeast. These deposits provide important insights into Native American socioeconomic organization but are also quite rare: only about 50 such rings have been documented to date. Recent work using automated LiDAR analysis demonstrates that many more shell rings likely exist than are currently recorded in state archaeological databases. Here, we use deep learning, a form of machine intelligence, to detect shell ring deposits and identify their geographic range in LiDAR data from South Carolina. We corroborate our results using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multispectral data, and a random forest analysis. We conclude that a greater number of shell rings exist and that their distribution expanded further north than currently documented. Our evidence suggests that ring-construction was a more widespread and common practice during the ...
Within archaeology, concern over ethics has become a centre point of debate, particularly in term... more Within archaeology, concern over ethics has become a centre point of debate, particularly in terms of cultural patrimony, repatriation, intellectual property rights, and the display of sensitive items
Climate change and anthropogenic activities are actively destroying the archaeological record. Th... more Climate change and anthropogenic activities are actively destroying the archaeological record. The dramatic disappearance of archaeological landscapes becomes particularly problematic when they are also unrecorded. Hidden from view and eroding, these disappearing landscapes likely hold answers to important anthropological questions. As such, disappearing landscapes present a major challenge for twenty-first century archaeology. Left unchecked, this phenomenon will increase the severity of bias in our knowledge of the past. In this paper we use a case study from Pinckney Island in the American Southeast to illustrate how the problem of hidden and disappearing landscapes can be addressed through multi-scalar surveys. Specifically, by combining aerial LiDAR, pedestrian survey, and micro-artifact approaches, the identification of hidden and disappearing cultural materials (including permanent settlements and ephemeral artifact scatters) can be alleviated.
Archaeologists have struggled to combine remotely sensed datasets with preexisting information fo... more Archaeologists have struggled to combine remotely sensed datasets with preexisting information for landscape-level analyses. In the American Southeast, for example, analyses of lidar data using automated feature extraction algorithms have led to the identification of over 40 potential new pre-European-contact Native American shell ring deposits in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Such datasets are vital for understanding settlement distributions, yet a comprehensive assessment requires remotely sensed and previously surveyed archaeological data. Here, we use legacy data and airborne lidar-derived information to conduct a series of point pattern analyses using spatial models that we designed to assess the factors that best explain the location of shell rings. The results reveal that ring deposit locations are highly clustered and best explained through a combination of environmental conditions such as distance to water and elevation as well as social factors.
AMNH Anthropological Paper 94 (10): 183-207., 2011
Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, Matthew C. Sanger, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, Robert K. ... more Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, Matthew C. Sanger, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, Robert K. Booth, Fredrick J. Rich, Donald B. Potter, and Timothy Keith-Lucas
"Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; Dreher
et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context." ....
The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an important proxy for examining historical traject... more The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an important proxy for examining historical trajectories of coastal ecosystems. Measurement of ~40,000 oyster shells from archaeological sites along the Atlantic Coast of the United States provides a long-term record of oyster abundance and size. The data demonstrate increases in oyster size across time and a nonrandom pattern in their distributions across sites. We attribute this variation to processes related to Native American fishing rights and environmental variability. Mean oyster length is correlated with total oyster bed length within foraging radii (5 and 10 km) as mapped in 1889 and 1890. These data demonstrate the stability of oyster reefs despite different population densities and environmental shifts and have implications for oyster reef restoration in an age of global climate change.
Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populati... more Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populations, will distribute themselves across the landscape such that resource access is optimized. However, links between ecology and human responses to it are not always straightforward, especially during periods of climate change when people often act based on incomplete information and for reasons not connected directly to ecological output. Here, we analyze archaeological site distribution across the coastal plains of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to test the roles that both ecology and knowledge of a region, as estimated based on past site occupations, played in human decision making during the Middle and Late Archaic periods. These periods correlate to substantial climatic, environmental and ecological change during the middle Holocene and beginning of the late Holocene. We find that IFD models that include both ecological variables and past landscape use fit both cultural periods, but to different degrees.
Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, ... more Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; dreher et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context.
Five thousand–year history of Native American oyster harvesting practices provides insight into m... more Five thousand–year history of Native American oyster harvesting practices provides insight into modern oyster reef restoration.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Aug 30, 2018
Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic Period (ca. 8000-3000 cal B.P.) is a ... more Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic Period (ca. 8000-3000 cal B.P.) is a bellwether of emergent social complexity in the Eastern Woodlands. Originating from the Great Lakes, the Canadian Maritimes, and the Appalachian Mountains, Archaic-age copper is found in significant amounts as far south as Tennessee and in isolated pockets at major trade centers in Louisiana but is absent from most of the southeastern United States. Here we report the discovery of a copper band found with the cremated remains of at least seven individuals buried in the direct center of a Late Archaic shell ring located in coastal Georgia. Late Archaic shell rings are massive circular middens thought to be constructed, in part, during large-scale ritual gatherings and feasting events. The exotic copper and cremated remains are unique in coastal South Carolina and Georgia where Archaic-age cremations are conspicuously absent and no other Archaic copper objects have been reported. Elemental...
First International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy Expanded Abstracts
Among archaeologists using remote sensing there is tremendous potential for the use of deep learn... more Among archaeologists using remote sensing there is tremendous potential for the use of deep learning models for the prospection of archaeological features. The need for relatively large training datasets, technical expertise, and computational requirements, however, has slowed the adoption of these techniques. Here, we train a series of deep learning models using two different model architectures (i.e., single-stage and dual-stage) to detect shell rings, a circular midden feature that is found across the American Southeast. Native American groups constructed these features during the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.). These deposits offer important information about pre-European contact socioeconomic organization among Native American groups (Figure 1). In the coastal area of the Atlantic, however, these features are relatively rare: only about 50 shell rings have been documented by archaeologists to date. To expand our knowledge of these features, we test RetinaNet and Mask-RCNN deep learning models as means of detecting shell rings from wide-area LiDAR data using extremely small training datasets. We demonstrate that the use of "negative" training data to identify non-archaeological features helps to improve model performance. Furthermore, we show that while popular dual-stage detectors like Mask R-CNN perform better than single-stage models like RetinaNet, single-stage models still achieve acceptable levels of accuracy and require a fraction of the computational and time requirements of dual-stage detectors.
In the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.), Native American groups constructed shell rings, a type ... more In the mid-Holocene (5000-3000 cal B.P.), Native American groups constructed shell rings, a type of circular midden, in coastal areas of the American Southeast. These deposits provide important insights into Native American socioeconomic organization but are also quite rare: only about 50 such rings have been documented to date. Recent work using automated LiDAR analysis demonstrates that many more shell rings likely exist than are currently recorded in state archaeological databases. Here, we use deep learning, a form of machine intelligence, to detect shell ring deposits and identify their geographic range in LiDAR data from South Carolina. We corroborate our results using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), multispectral data, and a random forest analysis. We conclude that a greater number of shell rings exist and that their distribution expanded further north than currently documented. Our evidence suggests that ring-construction was a more widespread and common practice during the ...
Within archaeology, concern over ethics has become a centre point of debate, particularly in term... more Within archaeology, concern over ethics has become a centre point of debate, particularly in terms of cultural patrimony, repatriation, intellectual property rights, and the display of sensitive items
Climate change and anthropogenic activities are actively destroying the archaeological record. Th... more Climate change and anthropogenic activities are actively destroying the archaeological record. The dramatic disappearance of archaeological landscapes becomes particularly problematic when they are also unrecorded. Hidden from view and eroding, these disappearing landscapes likely hold answers to important anthropological questions. As such, disappearing landscapes present a major challenge for twenty-first century archaeology. Left unchecked, this phenomenon will increase the severity of bias in our knowledge of the past. In this paper we use a case study from Pinckney Island in the American Southeast to illustrate how the problem of hidden and disappearing landscapes can be addressed through multi-scalar surveys. Specifically, by combining aerial LiDAR, pedestrian survey, and micro-artifact approaches, the identification of hidden and disappearing cultural materials (including permanent settlements and ephemeral artifact scatters) can be alleviated.
Archaeologists have struggled to combine remotely sensed datasets with preexisting information fo... more Archaeologists have struggled to combine remotely sensed datasets with preexisting information for landscape-level analyses. In the American Southeast, for example, analyses of lidar data using automated feature extraction algorithms have led to the identification of over 40 potential new pre-European-contact Native American shell ring deposits in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Such datasets are vital for understanding settlement distributions, yet a comprehensive assessment requires remotely sensed and previously surveyed archaeological data. Here, we use legacy data and airborne lidar-derived information to conduct a series of point pattern analyses using spatial models that we designed to assess the factors that best explain the location of shell rings. The results reveal that ring deposit locations are highly clustered and best explained through a combination of environmental conditions such as distance to water and elevation as well as social factors.
AMNH Anthropological Paper 94 (10): 183-207., 2011
Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, Matthew C. Sanger, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, Robert K. ... more Gale A. Bishop, David Hurst Thomas, Matthew C. Sanger, Brian K. Meyer, R. Kelly Vance, Robert K. Booth, Fredrick J. Rich, Donald B. Potter, and Timothy Keith-Lucas
"Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; Dreher
et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context." ....
Excavations at two Late Archaic shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, revealed evidence ... more Excavations at two Late Archaic shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, revealed evidence of significant amounts of subterranean storage. Based on botanical evidence, ethonographic analogies, and interpretations of other Late Archaic sites, hickory nuts and acorns are the most likely resource being stored, and quantifying the capacity found at each ring highlights the prevalence and importance of mast storage. These findings are important because large-scale storage has rarely been proposed for Late Archaic coastal peoples and, therefore, its impact as a potential factor for social changes enacted during this time period, including increasing sedentism, formalization of intragroup relations, and regionalization of cultural identities, has yet to be explored. Excavaciones en dos anillos de concha correspondientes al Arcaico Tardío de la isla de St. Catherines, Georgia, obtuvieron significativas evidencias de almacenaje subterráneo. Con base en evidencia botánica, analogías etnográficas e interpretaciones de otros sitios del Arcaico Tardío, es probable que las nueces de nogal y las bellotas fueran los recursos almacenados. Cuantificando la capacidad registrada en cada anillo, se destaca la prevalencia e importancia del almacenamiento de bellotas. Estos hallazgos son importantes pues el almacenamiento a larga escala raramente ha sido propuesto para los pueblos costeros del Arcaico Tardío. Por lo tanto, aún no se ha explorado su impacto como factor potencial para cambios sociales promulgados durante este período, incluyendo el incremento del sedentarismo, la formulación de relaciones intragrupo y la regionalización de identidades culturales.
To cite this article: Matthew C. Sanger (2017) Coils, slabs, and molds: examining community affil... more To cite this article: Matthew C. Sanger (2017) Coils, slabs, and molds: examining community affiliation between Late Archaic shell ring communities using radiographic imagery of pottery, Southeastern Archaeology, 36:2, 95-109, ABSTRACT Radiographic imaging is used to determine the techniques used to form vessels from two contemporaneous Late Archaic shell rings in coastal Georgia. These data, in concert with decorative and technofunctional data, suggest that different potting communities occupied each ring. The presence of different communities at each ring corresponds with larger regional patterns in which localized socio-political bodies developed during the Late Archaic. The findings offered in this paper suggest that localized groups did not exist in isolation but rather lived near one another for centuries.
Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Ber... more Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com".
Issued March 3, 2008. 3 v. (xiii, 1136 p.) : ill., maps ; 26 cm. Contents: pt. 1. The theoretical... more Issued March 3, 2008. 3 v. (xiii, 1136 p.) : ill., maps ; 26 cm. Contents: pt. 1. The theoretical framework -- pt. 2. The data -- pt. 3. Synthesis and implications.. Four deceptively simple questions have guided our long-term research into the aboriginal lifeways of St. Catherines Island: 1. ...
While learning has recently become a prominent area of research within archaeology, tracing its h... more While learning has recently become a prominent area of research within archaeology, tracing its history and character through objects has proven difficult. This is particularly true when learning is considered a staged event in which novice engagement with objects is intermittent rather than sustained. Learning to make pottery is often staged in that novices assist in particular aspects of the productive chain while more experienced individuals perform other tasks. As such, individual vessels often go through multiple hands, making assignment as “novice-wares” problematic. This paper offers a way forward through the application of a constellation of techniques; each of which provides information on a discrete link in the production sequence and assess the level of skill reflected in particular attributes. By applying these methods to two pottery assemblages from neighboring contemporaneous sites, the shortcomings and potential feasibility of these techniques are highlighted and new research directions are offered.
84th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, 2019
In 2018, we identified over 50 new potential shell rings in Beaufort County, SC using LiDAR and a... more In 2018, we identified over 50 new potential shell rings in Beaufort County, SC using LiDAR and automated feature extraction algorithms. Further analysis of this data has confirmed the archaeological nature of several of these deposits. This poster details further analysis of these features. We find that the majority of these rings are significantly smaller than previously identified rings in South Carolina and the spatial patterning of these features paints a picture of clustered settlement distribution. Areas with the highest density of shell rings are located in closer proximity to water and in higher elevations than rings located in lower density areas. Additionally rings that are in close proximity to other rings have higher volumes of shell per unit of area than rings that are further away from other rings. Overall, this information suggests that where shell rings are clustered together, their overall size is smaller but their volume of shells is greater, whereas rings that are more dispersed are larger but contain a smaller volume of shells per unit of area.
Excavations conducted at the McQueen site on St Catherines Island off the coast of Georgia recove... more Excavations conducted at the McQueen site on St Catherines Island off the coast of Georgia recovered several fragments of a copper artifact. These fragments represent an artifact made from a thin sheet of copper, and were recovered from a Late Archaic feature with calibrated radiocarbon dates placing its use between 2300 and 1800 BC. Seven of these fragments were analyzed at the Elemental Analysis Facility of the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History to determine elemental composition with the intent of identifying probable sources for the copper from which the artifact was manufactured. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to collect elemental composition data for these seven fragments as well as from geological source samples representing Lake Superior, the southern and central Appalachians, and the Canadian Maritimes. Two independent statistical analyses were performed on the resulting data. Both analyses place the most likely source for the Georgian artifact in the Lake Superior region far to the north rather than in the closer sources of the Appalachians, requiring a more complex explanatory framework to account for this long distance interaction or acquisition.
Archaeologists have recently developed both an appreciation for technical knowledge acquisition ... more Archaeologists have recently developed both an appreciation for technical knowledge acquisition and tools for tracing its development through the analysis of material culture. This paper presents novel methods for measuring micro-morphological characteristics of pottery which relate to potters’ skill level and show promise in elucidating the social conditions in which the pottery was ultimately deposited. The data is drawn from two Archaic shell rings, a site type whose position within a broader landscape is very much in question. The interpretations are therefore of particular interest while the methods themselves appear valuable to a broad audience.
Archaeological conceptions of power, authority, and inequality have been undergoing significant c... more Archaeological conceptions of power, authority, and inequality have been undergoing significant changes in the last few decades, both in terms of how the discipline conducts itself as well as in how archaeologists interpret their study matter. To the level that researchers strive to create more balanced relationships with collaborators, develop openness to alternative ontologies, and investigate the active nature of egalitarian social systems, many in the discipline are turning towards policies, methods, and interpretations that emphasize decentralized leadership and more balanced social relations. This session questions whether the application of Anarchist Theory, a growing field of inquiry with deep historical roots, can be beneficially applied to both the interpretation of past cultures and how archaeologists apply our research within a wider political world. In the past, archaeologists rarely engaged with Anarchist Theory, although aspects of anarchism, such as the concern over alienation from decision-making and the need to constantly combat incipient power centralization, permeate the archaeological literature. Papers within this session will explore the ways in which a more explicit engagement with Anarchist Theory can open new avenues of research, inform novel interpretations, or affect relations with collaborators and other invested parties.
Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populati... more Ideal free distribution (IFD) models generally predict that populations, including human populations, will distribute themselves across the landscape such that resource access is optimized. However, links between ecology and human responses to it are not always straightforward, especially during periods of climate change when people often act based on incomplete information and for reasons not connected directly to ecological output. Here, we analyze archaeological site distribution across the coastal plains of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to test the roles that both ecology and knowledge of a region, as estimated based on past site occupations, played in human decision making during the Middle and Late Archaic periods. These periods correlate to substantial climatic, environmental and ecological change during the middle Holocene and beginning of the late Holocene. We find that IFD models that include both ecological variables and past landscape use fit both cultural periods, but to different degrees.
Heritage tourism is a driving economic force in much of the coastal southeastern United States,
i... more Heritage tourism is a driving economic force in much of the coastal southeastern United States, including on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, one of the most popular destinations for vacationers in the country. Working with local community members in developing a diverse and multipronged public archaeology program, we helped facilitate research and develop programing at the Baynard Mausoleum and Zion Chapel of Ease and Cemetery (Baynard-Zion). Built and used during the late eighteenth through mid-nineteenth centuries, Baynard-Zion includes some of the oldest marked graves on the island as well as its oldest standing architecture. Using a constellation of techniques, including geophysical surveys, genetic testing of human remains, and limited excavations, research conducted at Baynard-Zion provides an opportunity to enhance public perception and understanding of pivotal historic events and people on the island while also assisting in development plans that promote heritage tourism.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018
Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic
Period (ca. 8000–3000 cal B.P.) is a ... more Long-distance exchange of copper objects during the Archaic Period (ca. 8000–3000 cal B.P.) is a bellwether of emergent social complexity in the Eastern Woodlands. Originating from the Great Lakes, the Canadian Maritimes, and the Appalachian Mountains, Archaic-age copper is found in significant amounts as far south as Tennessee and in isolated pockets at major trade centers in Louisiana but is absent from most of the southeastern United States. Here we report the discovery of a copper band found with the cremated remains of at least seven individuals buried in the direct center of a Late Archaic shell ring located in coastal Georgia. Late Archaic shell rings are massive circular middens thought to be constructed, in part, during large-scale ritual gatherings and feasting events. The exotic copper and cremated remains are unique in coastal South Carolina and Georgia where Archaic-age cremations are conspicuously absent and no other Archaic copper objects have been reported. Elemental data produced through laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry shows the copper originated from the Great Lakes, effectively extending Archaic copper exchange almost 1,000 km beyond its traditional boundaries. Similarities in mortuary practices and the presence of copper originating from the Great Lakes reveal the presence of long distance exchange relations spanning vast portions of the eastern United States and suggest an unexpected level of societal complexity at shell ring localities. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that elite actors solidified their positions through ritual gatherings and the long-distance exchange of exotic objects during the Archaic.
Late Archaic shell rings have been the focus of archaeological research for decades, yet their hi... more Late Archaic shell rings have been the focus of archaeological research for decades, yet their history, use, and function are debated. Relying on an evidentiary line rarely used in shell ring studies – the analysis of stone tools and debitage – we test prevailing theories and find that models describing the rings as circular dams intended to hold freshwater are incorrect. Instead, by tracing the origins of stone and its distribution within two shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, we posit that shell rings were places of both daily residence and intermittent gatherings. Because they have proven useful in interpreting the St. Catherines Island shell rings, we suggest archaeologists shift their sampling and recovery techniques so that representative lithic assemblages can be attained from other rings, thereby providing a better understanding of ring-builders and the Late Archaic occupation of the South Atlantic coastline.
One persistent archaeological challenge is the generation of systematic documentation for the ext... more One persistent archaeological challenge is the generation of systematic documentation for the extant archaeological record at the scale of landscapes. Often our information for landscapes is the result of haphazard and patchy surveys that stem from opportunistic and historic efforts. Consequently, overall knowledge of some regions is the product of ad hoc survey area delineation, degree of accessibility, effective ground visibility, and the fraction of areas that have survived destruction from development. These factors subsequently contribute unknown biases to our understanding of chronology, settlements patterns, interaction, and exchange. Aerial remote sensing offers one potential solution for improving our knowledge of landscapes. With sensors that include LiDAR, remote sensing can identify archaeological features that are otherwise obscured by vegetation. Object-based image analyses (OBIA) of remote sensing data hold particular promise to facilitate regional analyses thorough the automation of archaeological feature recognition. Here, we explore four OBIA algorithms for artificial mound feature detection using LiDAR from Beaufort County, South Carolina: multiresolution segmen-tation, inverse depression analysis, template matching, and a newly designed algorithm that combines elements of segmentation and template matching. While no single algorithm proved to be consistently superior to the others, a combination of methods is shown to be the most effective for detecting archaeological features.
Excavations conducted at the McQueen Shell Ring on St. Catherine's Island off the coast of Georgi... more Excavations conducted at the McQueen Shell Ring on St. Catherine's Island off the coast of Georgia recovered several fragments of a copper artifact. These fragments represent an artifact made from a thin sheet of copper, and were recovered from a Late Archaic feature with calibrated radiocarbon dates placing its use between 2300 and 1800 cal. BC. Seven of these fragments were analyzed at the Elemental Analysis Facility of the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History to determine elemental composition with the intent of identifying probable sources for the copper from which the artifact was manufactured. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to collect elemental composition data for these seven fragments as well as from geological source samples representing Lake Superior, the southern and central Appalachians, and the Canadian Maritimes. Several statistical analyses were performed on the resulting data by varying test assumptions and parameters. All analyses place the most likely source for the Georgian artifact in the Lake Superior region far to the north rather than in the closer sources of the Appalachians, requiring a more complex explanatory framework to account for this long distance interaction or acquisition.
Analysis of human remains and a copper band found in the center of a Late Archaic (ca. 5000-3000 ... more Analysis of human remains and a copper band found in the center of a Late Archaic (ca. 5000-3000 cal BP) shell ring demonstrate an exchange network between the Great Lakes and the coastal southeast United States. Similarities in mortuary practices suggest that the movement of objects between these two regions was more direct and unmediated than archaeologists previously assumed based on "down-the-line" models of exchange. These findings challenge prevalent notions that view preagricultural Native American communities as relatively isolated from one another and suggest instead that wide social networks spanned much of North America thousands of years before the advent of domestication. El análisis de restos humanos y una banda de cobre que se encontraron en el centro de un anillo de concha del Arcaico Tardío (ca. 5000-3000 cal BP) demuestra una red de intercambio entre los Grandes Lagos y la costa sureste de los Estados Unidos. Las similitudes en las prácticas mortuorias sugieren que el movimiento de objetos entre estas dos regiones fue más directo y sin mediación que las suposiciones pasadas basadas en modelos de intercambio "en línea". Estos hallazgos desafían las nociones prevalecientes que consideran que las comunidades Nativas Americanas pre-agrícolas vivían relativamente aisladas unas de otras y, en cambio, sugieren que las redes sociales abarcan una gran parte de América del Norte miles de años antes del advenimiento de la domesticación. Palabras clave: redes comerciales, Arcaico tardío en el sureste de Norteamérica, prácticas funerarias, cremación, anillos de conchas, bioarqueología R esearch shows that many Archaic period (ca. 8000-3000 cal BP) hunter-gatherer societies living in North America, long thought to be isolated from one another, were often tied together by broad networks of affiliation and interaction (
Multiple-proxy seasonality studies, in combination with stratigraphic
reconstructions, provide da... more Multiple-proxy seasonality studies, in combination with stratigraphic reconstructions, provide data critical to understanding how Late Archaic residents of the Georgia Bight created shell middens. Deposited as large circular rings, these middens in part contain fishes caught year-round, clams and oysters harvested seasonally, and tree nuts gathered in the fall and potentially consumed during other portions of the year. These findings highlight the benefit of applying multiple-proxy seasonality indicators, in conjunction with detailed stratigraphic analyses, to better understand formational histories of shell middens not only in the Georgia Bight, but on coastlines globally. Our multiple-proxy seasonality data also provides a more refined view of Late Archaic occupations of the Georgia Bight as it suggests communities adopted a complex settlement strategy in which populations were dispersed for part of the year, including in small villages, some of which were then used for large-scale gatherings that aggregated populations during the winter and perhaps fall months
Analyses of hafted biface shape using geometric morphometrics reveals similarities between assemb... more Analyses of hafted biface shape using geometric morphometrics reveals similarities between assemblages recovered from two contemporaneous settlements located in coastal Georgia (USA), both dating to ca. 4200–3900 cal. B.P. This finding contradicts prior studies that demonstrated notable differences in pottery manufacture techniques used at each site. This pattern of similarity in one technology and differences in another suggests that residents of these settlements engaged in post-marital residence practices that resulted in potters remaining in their natal homes while stone tool makers were the post-marital mobile gender. Based on historic records, as well as limited archaeological studies, we posit that women were the primary producers of pottery and that matrilocality was a dominant practice in the region. This conclusion is strengthened by studies along nearby river valleys where similar patterns were observed. We posit that matrilocality was a means by which newly sedentary groups formed alliances, exchange relations, and social networks among and between one another even as mobility between regions decreased.
Late Archaic shell rings have been the focus of archaeological research for decades, yet their hi... more Late Archaic shell rings have been the focus of archaeological research for decades, yet their history, use, and function are debated. Relying on an evidentiary line rarely used in shell ring studies – the analysis of stone tools and debitage – we test prevailing theories and find that models describing the rings as circular dams intended to hold freshwater are incorrect. Instead, by tracing the origins of stone and its distribution within two shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, we posit that shell rings were places of both daily residence and intermittent gatherings. Because they have proven useful in interpreting the St. Catherines Island shell rings, we suggest archaeologists shift their sampling and recovery techniques so that representative lithic assemblages can be attained from other rings, thereby providing a better understanding of ring-builders and the Late Archaic occupation of the South Atlantic coastline.
The study of precontact anthropogenic mounded features—earthen mounds, shell heaps, and shell
rin... more The study of precontact anthropogenic mounded features—earthen mounds, shell heaps, and shell rings—in the American Southeast is stymied by the spotty distribution of systematic surveys across the region. Many extant, yet unidentified, archaeological mound features continue to evade detection due to the heavily forested canopies that occupy large areas of the region, making pedestrian surveys difficult and preventing aerial observation. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) is a tool for analyzing light and radar (lidar) data and offers an inexpensive opportunity to address this challenge. Using publicly available lidar data from Beaufort County, South Carolina, and an OBIA approach that incorporates morphometric classification and statistical template matching, we systematically identify over 160 previously undetected mound features. This result improves our overall knowledge of settlement patterns by providing systematic knowledge about past landscapes.
The theory of anarchism primarily concerns the
organization of society in a way that fosters egal... more The theory of anarchism primarily concerns the organization of society in a way that fosters egal- itarian or equitable forms of association and coop- eration and resists all forms of domination. An anarchist perspective involves an awareness of, and critique of, how power is implemented through social relations, whether positively as in collaborative acts of mutual aid to common goals or negatively as in assertions of authoritarian power contrary to the interests of the community as a whole. As a theory concerning power and social relations, archaeologists apply anarchism for analyses of past societies, to interpret and evaluate forms of egalitarian or hierarchical rela- tions, modes of domination or resistance, and expressions of control or autonomy. Moreover, it is not just for considering the past, but the theory can be applied to contemporary social arrange- ments concerning archaeology in multiple ways: how archaeologists organize themselves for research teams and field crews, involve local or descendant communities, or relate to the various publics concerning heritage. Anarchism has had an increasing influence upon archaeology in recent years, just as the theory has influenced other disciplines throughout the social sciences and humanities.
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"Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; Dreher
et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context." ....
"Vibracoring is a subsurface sediment acquisition (sediment coring) technique (Pierce and Howard, 1969; Howard and Frey, 1975; Dreher
et al., 2008) that returns sediment preserved within its stratigraphic and sedimentologic context. This process (see appendix 1) generates a continuous, contiguous sediment sample at a point by vibrating an aluminum core barrel vertically into the sediment (fig. 10.1). One advantage of vibracoring is that core depths (up to ~7.5 m) can be extracted preserving stratigraphic layering, sedimentary structures, fossils, and lithology in their natural context." ....
including on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, one of the most popular destinations for
vacationers in the country. Working with local community members in developing a diverse and
multipronged public archaeology program, we helped facilitate research and develop
programing at the Baynard Mausoleum and Zion Chapel of Ease and Cemetery (Baynard-Zion).
Built and used during the late eighteenth through mid-nineteenth centuries, Baynard-Zion
includes some of the oldest marked graves on the island as well as its oldest standing
architecture. Using a constellation of techniques, including geophysical surveys, genetic testing
of human remains, and limited excavations, research conducted at Baynard-Zion provides an
opportunity to enhance public perception and understanding of pivotal historic events and
people on the island while also assisting in development plans that promote heritage tourism.
Period (ca. 8000–3000 cal B.P.) is a bellwether of emergent social
complexity in the Eastern Woodlands. Originating from the Great
Lakes, the Canadian Maritimes, and the Appalachian Mountains,
Archaic-age copper is found in significant amounts as far south as
Tennessee and in isolated pockets at major trade centers in
Louisiana but is absent from most of the southeastern United States.
Here we report the discovery of a copper band found with the
cremated remains of at least seven individuals buried in the direct
center of a Late Archaic shell ring located in coastal Georgia. Late
Archaic shell rings are massive circular middens thought to be
constructed, in part, during large-scale ritual gatherings and feasting
events. The exotic copper and cremated remains are unique in
coastal South Carolina and Georgia where Archaic-age cremations
are conspicuously absent and no other Archaic copper objects have
been reported. Elemental data produced through laser ablation
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry shows the copper
originated from the Great Lakes, effectively extending Archaic
copper exchange almost 1,000 km beyond its traditional boundaries.
Similarities in mortuary practices and the presence of copper
originating from the Great Lakes reveal the presence of long distance
exchange relations spanning vast portions of the eastern
United States and suggest an unexpected level of societal complexity
at shell ring localities. These findings are consistent with
the hypothesis that elite actors solidified their positions through
ritual gatherings and the long-distance exchange of exotic objects
during the Archaic.
reconstructions, provide data critical to understanding how Late
Archaic residents of the Georgia Bight created shell middens.
Deposited as large circular rings, these middens in part contain
fishes caught year-round, clams and oysters harvested seasonally,
and tree nuts gathered in the fall and potentially consumed during
other portions of the year. These findings highlight the benefit of
applying multiple-proxy seasonality indicators, in conjunction with
detailed stratigraphic analyses, to better understand formational histories
of shell middens not only in the Georgia Bight, but on coastlines
globally. Our multiple-proxy seasonality data also provides a
more refined view of Late Archaic occupations of the Georgia Bight
as it suggests communities adopted a complex settlement strategy in
which populations were dispersed for part of the year, including in
small villages, some of which were then used for large-scale gatherings
that aggregated populations during the winter and perhaps fall months
rings—in the American Southeast is stymied by the spotty distribution of systematic surveys across
the region. Many extant, yet unidentified, archaeological mound features continue to evade
detection due to the heavily forested canopies that occupy large areas of the region, making
pedestrian surveys difficult and preventing aerial observation. Object-based image analysis
(OBIA) is a tool for analyzing light and radar (lidar) data and offers an inexpensive opportunity to
address this challenge. Using publicly available lidar data from Beaufort County, South Carolina,
and an OBIA approach that incorporates morphometric classification and statistical template
matching, we systematically identify over 160 previously undetected mound features. This result
improves our overall knowledge of settlement patterns by providing systematic knowledge
about past landscapes.
organization of society in a way that fosters egal-
itarian or equitable forms of association and coop-
eration and resists all forms of domination. An
anarchist perspective involves an awareness of,
and critique of, how power is implemented
through social relations, whether positively as in
collaborative acts of mutual aid to common goals
or negatively as in assertions of authoritarian
power contrary to the interests of the community
as a whole. As a theory concerning power and
social relations, archaeologists apply anarchism
for analyses of past societies, to interpret and
evaluate forms of egalitarian or hierarchical rela-
tions, modes of domination or resistance, and
expressions of control or autonomy. Moreover, it
is not just for considering the past, but the theory
can be applied to contemporary social arrange-
ments concerning archaeology in multiple ways:
how archaeologists organize themselves for
research teams and field crews, involve local or
descendant communities, or relate to the various
publics concerning heritage. Anarchism has had
an increasing influence upon archaeology in
recent years, just as the theory has influenced
other disciplines throughout the social sciences
and humanities.