Wild and Cultivated Plant Usage of a Late Precontact Site (11S1754) in the American Bottom

Summary

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

The Stemler Site (11S1754), a small Mississippian settlement in the American Bottom, was occupied during the Late Stirling and Early Moorehead Phases (ca. AD 1150-1275), as the population at Cahokia and the broader region was decreasing. It has been theorized that an over-reliance upon maize (Zea mays) led to the dispersal of people from and collapse at Cahokia. This study aims to provide nuance to these regional dynamics with a study of plant resource utilization at Stemler. Through an analysis of wild and cultivated seeds crops and a comparison of their rates of usage to maize, this study will shed light on the period during which Cahokia’s role as a regional powerhouse was changing and provide insight into the lives of small-scale settlements.

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): 40457.0