An examination of species diversity and bison processing intensity contextualized within an aboriginal seasonality framework for late precontact sites on the Canadian northeastern plains
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Date
2015-01-13
Authors
Playford, Tomasin
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Abstract
This dissertation considers faunal recoveries from a selection of archaeological
sites located in the Canadian Northeastern Plains that date between AD 1000
and 1600. These faunal assemblages derive from three different archaeological
cultures that are thought to reflect different subsistence orientations. The
analysis quantifies this variability by assessing the taxonomic abundance and
intensity of bone processing evident in the recoveries.
At issue is determination whether variability in the faunal assemblage reflects
differences in subsistence economy deriving from the diverse origins of these
societies. This requires control over other potential contributors to variability.
This includes ecological comparability of the site localities, consistency of
excavation, sampling and analytic methods, and similarities in site function.
Particularly important is determination that the selected sites reflect comparable
seasons of site occupation.
This latter consideration is important since the established archaeological and
ethnological literature suggests that both available resources and the economic
orientation of resident populations varied significantly with season. To this end, a
major research component focused on the development of more refined means
of determining the season of site occupation by measuring the degree of
osteological development of recovered foetal bison bones. The creation of linear
regression equations based on these measurements will allow applied
archaeologists to establish season of site occupation without the need for a
large, difficult to obtain foetal bison comparative collection.
The analysis suggests the variability in the faunal assemblages occurs
independently of site cultural affiliation, and might reflect economic activities
conditioned by more finely divided seasonal divisions than is apparent with the
conventional four-season model deriving from agrarian European societies.
Aboriginal language markers, specifically moon-names, were used to identify
significant biophysical and bison reproductive events. By placing the six sites
within Aboriginal concepts of seasonality, animal food subsistence choices are
better understood. These results have implications for the classification scheme
archaeologists have used to define subsistence strategies.
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Keywords
archaeology, subsistence, seasonality, foetal bison, species diversity, bison processing