Diet at the Edge of Fort Ancient: Preliminary Faunal Analysis from an Unusually Positioned House at the Guard Site, Dearborn County, Indiana

Summary

This study analyzes faunal remains from a recently excavated house at the Guard Site in southeast Indiana, which was occupied by the Fort Ancient culture between AD 1000 and AD 1300 during a period of optimal climate in the American Midwest. During such periods, abundant resources and low stress allow people to pursue more desired resources. In the case of Fort Ancient, the key species was the white-tailed deer. We hypothesize that Guard’s inhabitants were free to pursue large deer in the primes of their lives and could afford to ignore other deer and less optimal resources. However, social and seasonal distinctions are important considerations. Our house is outside of the main habitation ring of the village. The odd location of this house could be related to seasonal occupation or to the presence of a distinct social group, either of which could alter the composition of the house’s faunal assemblage. These possibilities will be explored against expectations derived from optimal conditions.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage