Midwestern Arch Conference 2011 Ohio Hopewell Paleoethnobotany - Brown's Bottom 1
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The Paleoethnobotanical Assemblage from the Brown’s Bottom Project: Hopewell Kith, Kin, and Hearth Midwestern Archaeological Conference October 2011 La Crosse, Wisconsin DeeAnne Wymer Bloomsburg University
Transcript of Midwestern Arch Conference 2011 Ohio Hopewell Paleoethnobotany - Brown's Bottom 1
The Paleoethnobotanical Assemblage from the
Brown’s Bottom Project:
Hopewell Kith, Kin, and HearthMidwestern Archaeological
Conference October 2011 La Crosse, Wisconsin
DeeAnne WymerBloomsburg University
A large number of samples
from virtually all contexts have been procured from the project sites…
ga ‘zillion
Samples….Flotation samples include completely analyzed and‘scanned’ samples…
Macro samples…Many materials collected during excavation
Sam plesFeatures LitersBrown's Bottom 1 105 54 515
Lady's Run 22 8 107TOTAL 127 62 622
Completed flotation samples from M.W. features:
*Unless otherwise noted all materials are carbonized…
[some Late Woodland flotation samples have been analyzed and many others scanned…]
Brown’s Bottom 1 Site
Lady’s Run Site
Project TotalsR A W T O T A L S # gm s.
W ood Charcoal -- 77.68
N utshell 5012 93.99
Seeds 1061 --
Squash Rind 64 0.07U nidentified O rganic 339 2.71
D E N S IT Y # gm s.
W ood Charcoal -- 1.25
N utshell 8.058 0.151
Seeds 1.706 --
Squash Rind 0.1 traceU nidentified O rganic 0.55 0.004
2 mm
Squash rind specimens
tree funguscarb. Fruit/berry cluster unid. fruit fragmentsfruit pedunclesnon-grass jointed stemsmall woody stemsHoney locust pod fragmentsunknown nut?
Nutmeat (hickory, acorn, unid.)Tubers/ tuber fragmentswood fungusbark
Lady’s RunStucture 1 intact ‘floor’
“Hopewell Concrete”
Fine animal furIn all samples
Project Totals: identified wood taxapercentage by fragment #
3412 identified fragments at 78.56 grams – from flotation samples
2684 fragments
Project Totals – Identified Nut Taxa
59.38 grams
1.66 g.166 frags.
Flot sample H.F. Macros
EAC / Domesticates
Fruit / Berry
“Weedy” / River edge% of identified seeds
n = 657
Carbonized tobacco seed(Nicotiana) 1 mm. lengthAnd F.
237…
“Look….no Hopewell
maize!!...”
* Brown’s Bottom 1 indices excludes post samples.
417 seeds
23 fragments
582 seeds
38 fragments
* Brown’s Bottom 1 indices excludes post samples.
Important taxa by site includes… honey locust/K. coffeetree
black locust hickory walnut
Black locust/Mulberry mulberry honey locust/K. coffeetree grape
% by frag #
Common wood taxa fromLady’s Run Structure 2:Honey locust
Gymnocladus/Gledistsia/Celtis
Mulberry
Oak – white group
B.B. 1
L.R, Str 1
L.R, Str 2
- Cheno.
Prevalence of EAC‘starchy’ taxa byIndividual household
B.B. 1
L.R, Str 1
L.R, Str 2
- Black walnut
- hickory - hazelnut
Nut Taxa: Percent of identifiednutshell, by fragment #
DensityBy gms. Per liter
Density by Fragment #Per liter
Brown’s Bottom 1Density distinctions by
site contexts
- Postmolds- Structure
interior features
- Exterior ‘earthovens’ w/ secondary refuse
- Exterior basins
- Burial contexts
Conclusions….Secondary refuse features produce the highest density and diversity of materials Structure ‘interiors’ clean except for those pits filled prior to structure de-construction
Clear evidence for utilization of domesticates as well as intense impact to local environment - attentive use of food/resource materials
Posts varied… most devoid of carbonized materials (except some within Lady’s Run Structure 2)…Intriguingly carbonized grape seeds were found in a significant # - dismantling in late summer?
Overall…evidence of a structured organized disposal pattern for organic materials…
