What's It Alder About? Paleobotanical and Zooarchaeological Analysis of Feasting Remains from the DgRv-006 Village, Galiano Island, SW British Columbia

Summary

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

The study of feasting activity in precontact societies can illuminate hierarchical social structures that existed within a community, because of the labor and wealth investments required to produce a successful feast. It can also highlight the integrative aspects of feasts, since they often involved widespread participation. We present results of paleobotanical and zooarchaeological analysis of bulk soil samples from a Late Period plankhouse at DgRv-006. A large, centrally located hearth feature in the plankhouse has yielded fuel wood and faunal remains from a single feasting event that are significantly different from remains collected from contexts representing daily consumption and wood fuel use. Fuel woods utilized in the feasting feature are unique to the feature, and not represented anywhere else in the house. Additionally, a massive volume of sea urchin from the feature suggests that this feasting event was produced for more than just the occupants of the house. Based on the differences in feasting consumption and daily subsistence exhibited at this site, we suggest that the feasting remains represent both a prestige and solidarity enhancing feasting event, but which also needs to be contextualized in the broader context of Coast Salish social practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 26219