Were the Wichita Using Ilex Vomitoria While Living Along the Arkansas River In Kansas

Summary

Were the Wichita consuming Ilex vomitoria in a ritual context while living in the Arkansas River Basin in Kansas? Prior to moving into the Arkansas river basin the Caddoan speaking tribes of Wichita were located further south in Oklahoma and Texas where Ilex vomitoria grows naturally and was consumed, however it is not a plant that naturally thrives in Kansas. To determine if there is evidence of Ilex vomitoria use FTIR Testing was performed on pottery shreds around one small vessel found at the Paint Creek site (14MP1). FTIR testing has also been performed on laboratory created teas from Ilex vomitoria, Mescal beans, and Yerba Mate for comparison. The results of this testing can provide great insight into the lives of the Wichita while they lived in Kansas.

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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