Vertebrate Use at Early Colonies on the Southeastern Coasts of Eastern North America

Reitz, Elizabeth J.; Waselkov, Gregory A.

doi:10.1007/s10761-014-0280-3

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, the early settlers likely supplemented their intake of farmed meat with the readily-available wetland resources of the surrounding area, resulting in a mixed dietary strategy (King et al, in press a). This pattern of wild resource supplementation has also been observed in colonial contexts elsewhere, for example in various North American contexts (Guiry et al, 2018;Reitz & Waselkov, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand

King

Buckley

Petchey

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: Colonial period New Zealand was lauded as a land of plenty, where colonists could improve their station in life and secure a future for their families. Our understanding of colonial experience, however, is often shaped by historical records which communicate a state-sponsored version of history. This study aims to reconstruct the lives of settlers using isotopic evidence from the colonial skeletons themselves. Materials and Methods:We use skeletal remains from recently excavated colonial sites in Otago (South Island, New Zealand) to illustrate the information that can be gleaned from the isotopic analysis of individuals. We use 87 Sr/ 86 Sr to identify European settlers, and δ 13 C and δ 15 N from collagen and hair keratin, as well as dental enamel carbonate δ 13 C to trace dietary change over their life-courses.Results: Strontium isotope analysis shows that all adults in our sample are non-local.Dietary isotopes show that while most individuals had relatively consistent childhood diet, one individual with more rural origins had seasonal use of resources during 2 childhood. While some members of the population seem to have increased their meat intake in the new colony most do not have clear evidence for this. Discussion:We show the diversity of human experience in first generation New Zealanders both prior to emigration and in the new colony. Despite colonial propaganda claiming that circumstances in New Zealand were improved for all settlers, we have little evidence for this, aside from among individuals of potentially high status.

show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand

King

Buckley

Petchey

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is because adaptive strategies developed by new immigrants could have profound implications for the success or failure of a colony and could also set the stage for long-term trends in cultural change (e.g., Blanton 2003;Dugmore et al 2007). For new arrivals in many early colonial contexts, animal husbandry and related subsistence activities represented the frontline of articulation between their culture and their new environment (Landon 2009;Reitz 1992;Reitz and Waselkov 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal Husbandry and Colonial Adaptive Behavior: Isotopic Insights from the La Belle Shipwreck Fauna

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changing social and economic practices had an important role for human adaptive strategies in colonial contexts and sometimes had profound consequences for emerging societies. In this study we use insights from stable isotope analyses, as well as other historical and archaeological evidence, to investigate the social and economic roles of French animal husbandry as an adaptive strategy for the settlers taking part in La Salle's famous expedition (1684-1688) to colonize the mouth of the Mississippi River. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of pig bones and other faunal remains from the shipwreck, La Belle and associated Fort Saint Louis on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico are used to evaluate specific historical accounts for colonists' animal husbandry practices and show that a large swine population was sustained primarily on meat from local hunting activities. In this context we argue that although the substantial efforts involved in raising pigs mainly on other animal products seemingly makes little economic sense, there are social explanations for what initially appears to be irrational behavior. This study provides an example of how stable isotope analyses of animal husbandry practices can contribute to understanding social processes in historical archaeology.

show abstract

“…A fundamental question pertaining to this process is whether the outcome is a mixture of several cultural strains, with roots that can be traced in a more or less linear fashion back to an original ancestry, or "a new cultural form with multiple origins and multiple active agents" (Deagan, 1998:23, 25). Archaeological evidence from early European-sponsored settlements throughout the Americas testify to the rapidity with which Native American traditions in animal use, material culture, architecture, and other aspects of daily life merged with European and African ones to form new cultural traditions that cannot be traced back to a single cultural heritage merging traditions from multiple origins and involving multiple agents (Reitz and Waselkov, 2015).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A sixteenth-century turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from Puerto Real, Hispaniola

Reitz

Speller

McGrath

et al. 2016

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A single turkey (Meleagris spp.) coracoid was identified from Puerto Real, a Spanish colonial town founded in 1503 on the north coast of Hispaniola and destroyed in 1579. Turkeys are not indigenous to Hispaniola, but wild turkeys were widespread in lands bordering the northern Gulf of Mexico and domestic turkeys were common in parts of Mexico. A wild turkey (M. gallopavo silvestris) at Puerto Real might be indirect evidence that wild turkeys were sent to Europe in the early to mid-1500s from the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. If the Puerto Real individual is a domestic South Mexican turkey (M. g. gallopavo), however, this would confirm that domestic turkeys were present in the Caribbean archipelago shortly after 1492. Ancient mitochondrial DNA D-loop analysis confirmed the identification of M. gallopavo, with a haplotype most consistent with a Mesoamerican origin. Isotopic evidence suggested a reliance on C 4 plants, likely maize (Zea mays), rather than a typical wild turkey diet high in C 3 plants. Together, the biomolecular evidence suggests this turkey traces its lineage to Mesoamerica, and is part of the larger post-Columbian merger of diverse cultural traditions. Keywords Meleagris gallopavo; Puerto Real; ancient DNA analysis; stable isotopes; Columbian Exchange Highlights  A turkey coracoid was recovered from a sixteenth-century Spanish site on Hispaniola  Turkeys are not indigenous to Hispaniola  Ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis confirms an attribution of M. gallopavo  Biomolecular evidence is consistent with a turkey from Mesoamerica  Turkeys were part of the post-Columbian merger of diverse cultural traditions

show abstract

Vertebrate Use at Early Colonies on the Southeastern Coasts of Eastern North America

Cited by 14 publications

References 40 publications

A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand

A multi‐isotope, multi‐tissue study of colonial origins and diet in New Zealand

Animal Husbandry and Colonial Adaptive Behavior: Isotopic Insights from the La Belle Shipwreck Fauna

A sixteenth-century turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from Puerto Real, Hispaniola

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About