The latest periods of prehistory in the Middle Atlantic witnessed a marked and widespread increase in the use of rockshelters. Archaeologists have noted the phenomenon but failed to provide a convincing explanation. I examine several possible reasons why Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric peoples may have spent more time at rockshelters, propose a link with the deteriorating climate of the Little Ice Age and consequent subsistence risk, and present a case study from the Mykut Rockshelter, 36Hu143, in central Pennsylvania.
Rockshelters are widespread features of prehistoric settlement. Eastern North America is well-supplied with rockshelters and caves that have been used in a variety of ways. We review and assess traditional archaeological approaches to the study of rockshelters in the region and consider the potential for new directions in the anthropological study of rockshelters. We summarize the articles presented in this volume and offer a perspective for future research.
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