Subsistence, Landscape, and Identity as Explored through Archaeofaunal Remains from Northwestern Florida

Summary

This paper explores relationships among subsistence, landscape, and identity on the northern Gulf Coast of Florida. Zooarchaeological assemblages from three Woodland-period shell midden sites (8BY1347, 8BY1355, 8BY1359), all located on a small (150 km2) peninsula in Bay County, Florida, differ in molluscan species composition reflecting proximity to varied marine and estuarine habitats. Coastal dwellers had flexible subsistence regimens, targeting local habitats rather than specific resources. Burial mounds associated with these same midden sites, excavated by C.B. Moore in the early 20th century, yielded examples of human burials with worked shell objects and/or "masses" of unworked shells. Based on Moore's descriptions, molluscan species compositions in burial contexts generally mirror those of associated midden assemblages. Exceptions to this pattern, though rare, are important because the types of shells that were, or were not, considered appropriate as burial accouterments do not necessarily reflect their economic importance to people using the site. We argue that people at different sites had differential access to resources by virtue of their physical and social position within a broader social landscape, but that specific taxa also had symbolic meanings related to place-based social identities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Recent Considerations of Coastal Subsistence Practices in the Southeastern USA

Keywords

Spatial Coverage