The Ethnogeology of Sedimentation and Land Formation in the Lower Mississippi Delta of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

Summary

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

The Lower Mississippi Delta is one of the most dynamic geological landscapes in world, experiencing a complex mix of alluvial sedimentation and coastal erosion. Additionally, both historic and prehistoric human populations have been drawn to this region by virtue of the extreme productivity of the estuarine environments created by the interactions between freshwater and saltwater ecosystems. Consequently, human societies have developed a range of adaptive solutions for dealing with the physiographic and ecological challenges of living in such a geologically and ecologically dynamic location. Our paper looks at the activities of modern fishing communities in lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, and documents the sophisticated perspectives of this population in understanding the geological and ecological processes related to alluvial sedimentation, coastal erosion, and the balance of freshwater and saltwater environments. These modern ethnographic observations also are relevant to developing ethnoarchaeological analogies about impermanent coastal and riverine settlement dynamics and subsistence. We pay particular attention to the results of recent crevasses along the natural levees of the Mississippi and the effects of human-made sediment diversion projects in forming new land surfaces. Finally, we offer some thoughts on prehistoric settlement systems based on the knowledge of modern fishing communities in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25183