Current Middle Atlantic Paleoethnobotany

Summary

A growing body of research from across the Middle Atlantic reveals patterns of native plant use that are both highly variable and unique within the North American landscape. This paper provides an overview of the current state of paleoethnobotanical research across the region, with a focus on the Chesapeake Bay where maize (corn) was a relative latecomer to the native subsistence regime. Multiple lines of evidence (including macro and micro-botanical data, direct radiocarbon assays and stable isotope research) illuminate the track and timing of maize adoption, and inform our understanding of the cultural processes that influenced this transition. The dearth of evidence of a farming antecedent (the Eastern Agricultural Complex) and evidence for a firm reliance on complex systems of natural resource management are central to the discussion.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22170