The fluvial and geomorphic context of Indian Knoll, an Archaic shell midden in West‐Central Kentucky

Abstract

Indian Knoll is the largest Archaic shell midden excavated by WPA archaeologists in Kentucky. Situated in a large alluvial valley, the site is not associated with a known river shoal as might be expected, making its fluvial and geomorphic setting of interest. Based on sediment cores and auger samples, undisturbed portions of the site remain despite extensive excavations. In undisturbed portions, a shell-bearing layer is overlain by a shell-free midden layer. Profiles of organic matter and calcium carbonate content for both layers are similar to those of other Green River shell middens. New radiocarbon determinations date the shell deposit at 5590-4530 cal yr B.P. Analysis of mussel species collected from the Indian Knoll indicates that shell fishing took place in a swiftly flowing, shallow to moderately deep setting of the main river channel. Overall, the prehistoric river setting adjacent to Indian Knoll was characterized by deeper water on average with variable but finer-grained substrate compared to other Green River shell midden sites. ᭧

Gradients of occlusal wear in hunter‐gatherers and agriculturalists

“…Tool kits contained artifacts that suggest they were used for processing food (milling stones, nut-stones, pestles) as well as hunting big game (atlatls and spears) and fishing (bone fish hooks and net weights) (Webb, 1974;Crothers, 1999;Morey et al, 2002).…”

“…Various other plant foods made up the remainder of the diet. Vegetable resources were gathered according to seasonal availability, including oilrich nuts in the autumn, berries, fruits, and grasses in the summer, and greens and bulbs in the spring (Morey et al, 2002). These foods were most likely prepared with hammer stones, stone mortars, and pestles (Jennings, 1989).…”

Stratigraphic and spatial variability in shell middens: microfacies identification at the ethnohistoric site Tunel VII (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)

“…Research has also been done to distinguish anthropogenic from natural shell deposits (Henderson et al 2002;Rosendahl et al 2007) and to understand archaeological stratigraphies and site formation processes (Morey et al 2002;Stein 1992aStein , b, c, 1996Stein et al 1992;Vila et al 2010). Much less investigation has been conducted on cultural refuse deposition patterns and the meaning underlying the construction of shell middens, frequently conceived as mono-functional sites resulting from the sequential accumulation of dumped food items.…”

Diversidade craniana humana e suas implicações evolutivas

“…A primeira ação deste protocolo consistiu na conferência, indivíduo a indivíduo de todos os espécimes para evitar que ocorresse a inclusão de dados repetidos. Ainda assim, em alguns casos, a busca por informações mostrou-se infrutífera e foi necessário complementá-la através de consultas a artigos relacionados, mapas geográficos e históricos, livros de divulgação científica e sítios de internet com informações sobre as populações e regiões de interesse (Vilanova, 1875;Taylor, 1890;Kitson, 1931;Russell, 1965;Lourandos, 1968;Rightmire, 1970;Howells, 1973Howells, , 1995Neel et al, 1977;Lewis, 1983;Young, 1986;Londoño, 1988;Collis, 1990;Steadman & Kirch, 1990;Drake, 1991;Biddle & Kjølbye-Biddle, 1992;Lampert & Steele, 1993;Hanihara, 1993aHanihara, , 1993bHanihara, , 1996Hanihara, , 2000Parker, 1995;Harrington, 1996;Neves et al, 1999;Simielli, 2000;Sayavongkhamdy et al, 2000;O'Rourke et al, 2000;Ulm & Reid, 2000;Comrie, 2002;Kidd et al, 2003;Morey et al, 2002;Atuí, 2005;Viet, 2005;González-José et al, 2006;Coltrain et al, 2006;Owen et al, 2006;Manica et al, 2007;Martinez & Martinez, 2007;…”