Fort Ancient Wild Turkey (*Meleagris gallopavo) Harvesting Strategies

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Birds in Archaeology: New Approaches to Understanding the Diverse Roles of Birds in the Past" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Wild turkeys (*Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) were an important component in the diet of the middle Ohio Valley’s Fort Ancient farming cultures from AD 1000 to 1750. Wild turkeys often accounted for about 4% of the meat consumed by village residents. Our research into Fort Ancient wild turkey harvesting practices has targeted the humerus, primarily, as this element is easily identified, is sexually dimorphic by size, and is rarely modified, unlike other wild turkey leg and wing elements. Our research documented two different harvesting strategies based on our analysis of humeri recovered from five Fort Ancient villages in the middle Ohio Valley. Hunters following the Buffalo Pattern (46Pu31; n = 277 humeri) took relatively equal numbers of males and females, while those following the Fox Farm Pattern (15Ms1; n = 264 humeri) took more than twice as many males as females. In our study area, the Fox Farm Pattern was practiced at villages with longer occupational histories. By focusing on males and not overhunting hens, residents could maintain a viable wild turkey population within the vicinity of their village, thereby contributing to the longevity of their community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• Birds in Archaeology: New Approaches to Understanding the Diverse Roles of Birds in the Past

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33061