No Bones About It: Using Lipid Analysis of Burned Rock and Groundstone Residues to Examine Late Archaic Subsistence Practices in South Texas

Quigg, J. Michael; Malainey, Mary E.; Przybylski, Roman; Monks, Gregory G.

doi:10.1080/2052546.2001.11932035

Cited by 27 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The analysis of specific components of hearthstone or cookstone technology (Thoms, 1986(Thoms, , 2003 allows for a broader understanding of prehistoric cooking strategies (e.g., Atkins, 1988;Jackson, 1998;Gose, 2000;Quigg et al, 2001;Brink and Dawe, 2003;Thoms, 2003). Although the use of caliche hearthstone technology has been examined in several ecological settings (e.g., Tennis et.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental hearths and the thermal alteration of Caliche on the Southern High Plains

et al. 2005

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Throughout the Holocene, caliche has been a ubiquitous technological resource for the people of the Southern High Plains. Archaeological sites on the Southern High Plains often contain thermal features that appear to utilize caliche nodules in various cultural processes. These processes usually involve some degree of thermal dynamic alteration to the caliche, identified in the archaeological record as fire-scorched or blackened nodules. Previous studies of the pyrodynamic properties of caliche have focused on quantification of color and fracture patterns within a laboratory setting, without direct involvement of cultural processes or problems associated with thermal features. Thermal alteration variables of caliche are examined from an actualistic perspective, utilizing previously excavated basin feature geometry and local caliche outcrops. Results indicate that sustained, intense heating of caliche (above 204°C) causes significant, but variable, structural transformations at the specimen level. The experimental use of shallow basin hearths demonstrates that hearth structures were easily capable of achieving and sustaining temperatures that would result in the physical alteration of individual caliche nodules, defined here as hearthstones. The broader implications of this study suggest that the interpretation of archaeological hearthstone assemblages should reflect variability, as observed during this experiment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental hearths and the thermal alteration of Caliche on the Southern High Plains

et al. 2005

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“…Work to understand the decomposition pat terns of various foods and food combinations has continued (Malainey et al 2000a(Malainey et al , 2000b(Malainey et al , 2000cMalainey, Malisza et al 2001;Quigg et al 2001). The collection of modern foods has expanded to include plants from the Southern Plains.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data Recovery Excavations at the J. B. White Site (41MM341), Milam County, Texas

Gadus¹,

Fields²,

Kibler³

2006

ITA

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“…Work has continued to understand the decomposition patterns of various foods and food combinations (Malainey et al 2000a(Malainey et al , 2000b(Malainey et al , 2000c(Malainey et al , 2001aQuigg et al 2001).…”

Section: Development Of the Identification Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Data Recovery at Fish Creek Slough Site (41DL436)

Nickels¹

2015

ITA

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The Fish Creek Slough site (41DL436) is a well stratified, multi-component, open campsite situated on an alluvial terrace on the west bank of Fish Creek in Dallas County, Texas. Discovered in 2005, the site contains an abundance of faunal material, charcoal, and burned clay within multiple, discrete stratified zones. The site was evaluated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Because the site was within the right-of-way for a planned road and bridge construction project, and as directed by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, TxDOT elected to undertake archaeological data recovery excavations to mitigate adverse effects to the site.In October of 2010, AmaTerra Environmental, Inc. conducted archaeological data recovery excavations at the site under TxDOT contract no. 579-09-SA006. Mechanical stripping was conducted within a 6 x 20-m trench in 3-5-cm cuts down to 200 centimeters below the modern ground surface and exposed 43 burned zones, other features, and artifact concentrations. In addition to 285 cubic meters of soil removed mechanically, an additional 17.75 cubic meters was excavated within 107 hand-dug units. Collected and analyzed items included more than 8,700 faunal specimens, 43 pieces of chipped stone, and 206 fire-cracked rocks. Samples were collected for macrobotanical, magnetic susceptibility, pH, carbon, and malacology, pollen, diatom, phytolith, and ostracod assays and selected specimens of fire-cracked rock were analyzed for the presence of starches and lipids.Thirty-nine radiocarbon dates accepted as valid helped define four discrete occupational components with the earliest occupation probably occurring as early as AD 1025, and the last occupation probably as late as AD 1865. Geoarchaeological analyses show that the stratigraphic sequence accumulated rapidly, separating and preserving the discrete occupations in good context. Analysis of the exceptionally robust and well-preserved faunal assemblage provides evidence for interpretation of change through time in social structure, site spatial occupations, and diet and subsistence. Of special note, within the occupation zones dating to the Protohistoric and Historic periods, metal cut marks on bone suggest an increased reliance on European-introduced technology.

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No Bones About It: Using Lipid Analysis of Burned Rock and Groundstone Residues to Examine Late Archaic Subsistence Practices in South Texas

Cited by 27 publications

References 4 publications

Experimental hearths and the thermal alteration of Caliche on the Southern High Plains

Experimental hearths and the thermal alteration of Caliche on the Southern High Plains

Data Recovery Excavations at the J. B. White Site (41MM341), Milam County, Texas

Archaeological Data Recovery at Fish Creek Slough Site (41DL436)

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