Aquatic Exploitation in the Lower Illinois River Valley: The Role of Paleoecological Change

Part of the Koster Site, IL (11GE4) project

Author(s): Bonnie Styles

Year: 1986

Summary

Analyses of fish and freshwater mussel assemblages from the Koster site in the lower Illinois River valley provide corroborative data for independent geomorphic studies of floodplain evolution. Increases in riverine species of mussels occur at 7300 B.P. in the middle Middle Archaic at approximately the same time as the Illinois River ceased entrenching and began aggrading. Increases in quietwater mussels, bowfin, and bullheads starting around 5700 B.P. in the late Middle Archaic are coeval with the earliest date for Hartwell member lacustrine deposits and may herald the development of floodbasin lakes. These data support a two-phase model for enhancement of aquatic resources of the floodplain with potential improvement of river habitat occurring prior to emergence of productive floodbasin lakes. Although cultural factors certainly played roles in these shifts in the exploitation of aquatic taxa, similar patterns across broad areas suggest that the effect of Hypsithermal-related erosion on floodplain aggradation was an important factor.

Cite this Record

Aquatic Exploitation in the Lower Illinois River Valley: The Role of Paleoecological Change. Bonnie Styles. FORAGING, COLLECTING, AND HARVESTING: ARCHAIC PERIOD SUBSISTENCE AND SETTLEMENT IN THE EASTERN WOODLANDS. (6): 145-174. 1986 ( tDAR id: 399087) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8XS5WRS

Keywords

Geographic Keywords
Green County, Illinois

Temporal Keywords
Archaic

Temporal Coverage

Radiocarbon Date: 5136 to 5046 (DAMS-020639 Horizon 6A2 5091+/-45 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 6940 to 6780 (ISGS-835 Horizon 8A 6860+/-80 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5795 to 5645 (ISGS-209 Horizon 6B 5720+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8520 to 8370 (ISGS 292 Horizon 11 8445+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 4994 to 4896 (DAMS-020641 Horizon 6AB 4945+/-49 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7040 to 6880 (ISGS-848 Horizon 8B 6960+/-80 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7840 to 7420 (ISGS-210 Horizon 8E 7630+/210 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8205 to 8055 (ISGS-337 Horizon 10B 8130+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5540 to 5240 (ISGS-233 Horizon 6B 5440+/-100 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5335 to 5255 (DAMS-023294 Horizon 6B 5295+/-40 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8295 to 8145 (ISGS 336 Horizon 9D 8220+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5262 to 5198 (DAMS-020638 Horizon 6A2 5230+/-32 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5264 to 5190 (DAMS-020635 Horizon 6A1 5227+/-37)

Radiocarbon Date: 7390 to 7250 (ISGS-859 Horizon 8D 7320+/-70 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8070 to 7770 (ISGS-923 Horizon 9B 7920+/-150 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 4975 to 4863 (DAMS-020643 Horizon 4 FT 1500 4919+/-56 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7367 to 7231 (DAMS-020632 Horizon 8C 7299+/-68 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7195 to 7117 (DAMS-020633 Horizon 8C 7156+/-39 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7780 to 7560 (ISGS-303 Horizon 8F 7670+/-110 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 6904 to 6798 (DAMS-020629 Horizon 8C 6851+/-53 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8530 to 8330 (ISGS-231 Horizon 11 8430+/-100 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5139 to 5033 (DAMS-020636 Horizon 6A2 5086+/-53 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7474 to 7362 (DAMS-020634 Horizon 8C 7417+/-57 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5380 to 5230 (ISGS-237 Horizon 6B 5305+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 3925 to 3775 (ISGS-329 Horizon 4B 3850+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 3060 to 2910 (ISGS-956 Horizon 4A 2980+/-70 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5160 to 4980 (ISGS 199 Horizon 6A2 5070+/-90 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5113 to 5035 (DAMS-023296 Horizon 6AB 5074+/-39 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5254 to 5202 (DAMS-023021 Horizon 6A1 5228+/-26 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7120 to 6820 (ISGS-800 Horizon 8C 6970+/-150 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 4885 to 4817 (DAMS-020640 Horizon 6A 4851 +/-34 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8590 to 8370 (ISGS 236 Horizon 11 8480+/-110 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5905 to 5745 (ISGS-414 Horizon 7A 5825/-80 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7139 to 7069 (DAMS-020630 Horizon 8C 7104+/-35 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5500 to 5000 (ISGS-198 Horizon 6A2 5250+/-250 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7960 to 7640 (ISGS-316 Horizon 9A 7800+/160 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7135 to 7053 (DAMS-020631 Horizon 8C 7094+/-41 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8820 to 8640 (ISGS-328 Horizon 12 8730+/-90 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5268 to 5170 (DAMS-020642 Horizon 6B 5219+/-49 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5260 to 5190 (ISGS-197 Horizon 6A2 5175+/-85 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7080 to 6920 (ISGS-809 Horizon 8B 7000+/-80 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5208 to 5132 (DAMS-020637 Horizon 6A2 5170+/-38 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5328 to 5256 (DAMS-023295 Horizon 6A2 5292+/-36 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 7190 to 6850 (ISGS-338 Horizon 8C 7020+/-170 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8010 to 7810 (ISGS-229 Horizon 9A/9B 7910+/100 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8350 to 8110 (ISGS-783 Horizon 10A 8230+/-120 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5215 to 5065 (ISGS-235 Horizon 6A2 5140+/-75 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5050 to 4550 (ISGS-202 Horizon 6A1 4880+/-250 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8520 to 8340 (ISGS-230 Horizon 11 8430+/-90 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 8580 to 8360 (ISGS 1762 Horizon 11 8470+/-110 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 6820 to 6200 (ISGS-1000 Horizon 8B 6510+/-310 RCYBP)

Radiocarbon Date: 5115 to 5045 (DAMS-023020 Horizon 6A2 5080+/-35 RCYBP)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -90.582; min lat: 39.173 ; max long: -90.495; max lat: 39.265 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Sarah Neusius

Project Director(s): Sarah Neusius

Prepared By(s): Indiana University of Penn.

Notes

General Note: The Koster faunal databases loaded in tDAR were identified by several zooarchaeologists. Frederick C. Hill and his assistants identified much of the early material collected in test units dug in 1969 as well as materials from the excavation of Horizons 1-6. Hill's 1975 dissertation (see reference list associated with this project) is a primary source for this material. Sarah W. Neusius identified faunal remains from Horizons 8-10B as well as a small sample of materials from Horizon 11. Her 1982 dissertation as well as a 1986 article (see references) are the primary sources for this material. John Hewitt created the faunal file for Horizons 8-10B identifications in conjunction with his own 1982 dissertation (see references) Andrea L. Boon completed a MA thesis on a large sample of materials from Horizon 11 and reported on this research in her 2011 thesis (see references).

File Information

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Aquatic Exploitation in the Lower Illinois River Valley: The Role of Paleoecological Change