Isotope Values Reveal “Canopy Effect” in Deer Territoriality and Maize Consumption for Dogs at Kentucky Archaeological Sites Dating to the Middle Woodland through Late Fort Ancient Time Periods

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Our study aims to investigate the movement and territorial behaviors of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) and dogs (Canis familiaris Linneaus) over time, utilizing carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope values derived from archaeological remains. An analysis of these isotope values extracted from tooth collagen and enamel was conducted for 20 deer teeth from 13 archaeological sites in Kentucky, spanning a period of approximately 1,500 years of human occupation. The “canopy effect” (grazing in deeply forested areas) in deer stable carbon isotope values was identified in the remains covering the Middle Woodland (200 BCE–CE 500) to Late Fort Ancient (CE 1400–1680). Additionally, tooth samples from nine dogs and one wolf (Canis lupus Linneaus) were analyzed which revealed significant maize consumption in seven of the dog samples. These samples came from seven of the sites spanning the Early through Late Fort Ancient (CE 1400–1680) periods. Furthermore, we present carbon and nitrogen isotope values derived from deer bone collagen, analyzing nine samples from three of these sites dating to the Middle to Early Late Woodland (200 BCE–CE 800) periods. Hence, our study contributes to the growing database of isotope studies in the Eastern Woodlands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38044.0