Riverine Resource Subsistence in Early to Middle Woodland Saginaw Valley, Michigan: An Investigation of Site 20SA1427

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

From the terminal Early to late-Middle Woodland periods (500 BC – AD 500), Native groups living in the central Saginaw Valley of Michigan dramatically shifted subsistence strategies from a reliance on medium to large game, to a focus on aquatic resources. Regional sites illustrate this shift, though from the point of deposition in central domestic spaces, rather than source exploitation areas. This poster details the investigation of site 20SA1427, a peripheral procurement and processing area for aquatic resources in support of a significant Eastern Woodland domestic complex. Delineated and investigated using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and deep subsurface testing, the site is characterized by intensive episodic use, integral to the settlement ecology of Early to Middle Woodland groups in the region. Reporting initial phases of fieldwork, this poster: 1.) provides an effective approach for survey of ephemeral, deeply buried sites; 2.) demonstrates the value of geophysical methods for identifying ancillary site components; and 3.) argues the analytical value of peripheral, resource-focused sites in understanding shifting dynamics at domestic centers.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25816