Hunting for Hides: Deerskins, Status, and Cultural Change in the Protohistoric Appalachians

200 Pages·2006·1.86 MB·English

by  Heather A. Lapham

Hunting for Hides
A Dan Josselyn Memorial Publication
Hunting for Hides
Deerskins, Status, and Cultural Change
in the Protohistoric Appalachians
Heather A. Lapham
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA PRESS
Tuscaloosa
Copyright © 2005
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0380
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Typeface: AGaramond
∞
The paper on which this book is printed meets the minimum
requirements of American National Standard for Information
Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lapham, Heather A. (Heather Alynn), 1969–
Hunting for hides : deerskins, status, and cultural change in the
protohistoric Appalachians / Heather A. Lapham.
p. cm.
Originally presented as the author’s thesis (doctoral—University of
Virginia).
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-1493-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8173-1493-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-5276-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8173-5276-7
1. Indians of North America—Hunting—Appalachian Region,
Southern. 2. Indians of North America—Appalachian Region,
Southern. 3. Excavations (Archaeology)—Appalachian Region,
Southern. 4. Appalachian Region, Southern—Antiquities. I. Title.
E98.H8L37 2005
639´.1165´08997—dc22
2005015399
ISBN-13: 978-0-8173-8377-0 (electronic)
Contents
List of Figures
vii
List of Tables
ix
Acknowledgments
xi
1. Economic Intensi¤cation and Cultural Change
1
2. Late Woodland and Protohistoric Archaeology
in the Southern Ridge and Valley
20
3. Ridge and Valley Animal Exploitation
47
4. Deer Hunting and Hide Production
77
5. Mortuary Practices and Prestige Goods Use
105
6. Understanding Cultural Change in the
Protohistoric Southern Appalachian Highlands
138
References Cited
151
Index
179

Figures
Figure 1.1. Modern white-tailed deer age and weight distribution. 14
Figure 2.1. Archaeological sites in southwestern Virginia. 21
Figure 2.2. The Crab Orchard site. 28
Figure 2.3. The Crab Orchard site, 1978 excavations. 31
Figure 2.4. Limestone-tempered ceramic sherds from
the Crab Orchard site. 32
Figure 2.5. Limestone-tempered, complicated-stamped ceramic
sherds from the Crab Orchard site. 33
Figure 2.6. Mussel shell–tempered ceramic sherds from
the Crab Orchard site. 34
Figure 2.7. The Hoge site. 36
Figure 2.8. The Trigg site. 39
Figure 2.9. Limestone-tempered, plain ceramic vessel
from the Trigg site. 42
Figure 2.10. Shell-tempered, net-impressed ceramic vessel
from the Trigg site. 43
Figure 3.1. Average weight per specimen. 61
Figure 3.2. Average weight per specimen for white-tailed deer. 61
Figure 3.3. Distribution of white-tailed deer. 73
Figure 3.4. Distribution of taxa contributing the most biomass. 74
Figure 3.5. Distribution of beaver, raccoon, and fox. 75
Figure 4.1. Age of deer at death in years. 80
Figure 4.2. Sex of deer hunted. 83
Figure 4.3. Season of deer kill. 85
Figure 4.4. Cut marks characteristic of skinning scars. 91
viii Figures
Figure 4.5. Features associated with hide skinning and processing. 92
Figure 4.6. Distribution of deer body parts. 93
Figure 4.7. Meat-bearing limbs and butchery waste. 94
Figure 4.8. Bone tools from the Trigg site. 97
Figure 4.9. Deer metatarsal beamers from the Trigg site 98
Figure 5.1. Key of symbols used in Figures 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4. 112
Figure 5.2 a and b. Mortuary goods by burial for subadults. 113
Figure 5.3. Mortuary goods by burial for adult females. 115
Figure 5.4. Mortuary goods by burial for adult males. 115
Figure 5.5. Sand-tempered ceramic ef¤gy vessel. 116
Figure 5.6. Subadults and adults buried with
nonperishable mortuary goods. 117
Figure 5.7. Adult females and males buried with
nonperishable mortuary goods. 118
Figure 5.8. Marine shell artifacts from the Trigg site. 121
Figure 5.9. Copper artifacts from the Trigg site. 126
Figure 5.10. Copper gorget from the Trigg site. 126
Figure 5.11. Glass beads from the Trigg site. 129
Figure 5.12. Subadults and adults buried with marine shell. 132
Figure 5.13. Adult females and males buried with marine shell. 134
Tables
Table 1.1. Numbers of Deerskins Exported to
Great Britain, 1699–1715. 7
Table 2.1. Radiocarbon Dates from the Crab Orchard,
Hoge, and Trigg Sites. 29
Table 2.2. Comparison of the Ceramic Assemblages by Temper Type. 35
Table 2.3. Summary Statistics for the Crab Orchard,
Hoge, and Trigg Sites. 45
Table 3.1. Summary of the Faunal Assemblages. 55
Table 3.2. Summary of Bone Modi¤cations. 57
Table 3.3. Summary of the Fauna by Level of Identi¤cation. 60
Table 3.4. Summary of the Fauna by Taxonomic Class. 63
Table 3.5. Summary of the Fauna by Taxa (Percent of Total). 65
Table 4.1. Summary of Deer Butchery. 89
Table 4.2. Summary of the Bone and Antler Tool Assemblages. 96
Table 4.3. Summary of the Freshwater Mussel Assemblages. 100
Table 5.1. Summary of the General Mortuary Patterns. 109
Table 5.2. Frequency of Nonperishable Mortuary Goods by
Age and Sex. 119
Table 5.3. Summary Statistics for the Nonlocal Mortuary Goods. 123
Table 5.4. Glass Beads from Mortuary Contexts at the Trigg Site. 130
Table 5.5. Frequency of Marine Shell Mortuary Goods by Age and Sex. 133