Prehistoric Seasonality Studies in Coastal Southern New England

Abstract

The results of seasonality studies undertaken with prehistoric faunal materials from the Greenwich Cove site in coastal Rhode Island are presented. Growth patterns in shells of the hard clam or quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) are used to reconstruct the time(s) of year this species was collected. A controlled study of seasonal growth provides a comparative baseline for this analysis. Seasonality of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hunting is interpreted through the examination of growth structures in preserved teeth. The seasonal availability of migratory species is also considered. Relatively year‐round coastal settlement is proposed for the final centuries of the prehistoric period.

Sclerochronological analysis of archaeological mollusc assemblages: methods, applications and future prospects

“…Recent high-resolution studies of shell growth regimes have revealed that growth line analysis is overly simplistic as environmental stimuli do not produce uniform effects in molluscan growth, with distinct variability detected between taxa and through time and space (Bernstein 1990;Henry and Cerrato 2007;Jones and Quitmyer 1996). The wide variety of ecological zones inhabited by molluscs requires further consideration of interactions between shellfish and environmental conditions.…”

“…Recent high-resolution studies of molluscan growth regimes have characterised intra-species differences in rates of shell precipitation through time and space, demonstrating that oscillations in temperature and water composition can have inconsistent effects on the growth regimes of geographically distinct populations (Bernstein 1990;Henry and Cerrato 2007;Jones and Quitmyer 1996). Moreover, Hallmann et al (2008) and Gillikin et al (2005a) have demonstrated that individuals from the same population can produce variable isotopic signals, suggesting that this may be indicative of microhabitat variability or differences in exchange rates between the outer extrapallial fluid (EPF) and the ambient water.…”

“…Establish high-resolution localised environmental records to contextualise archaeological data The importance of contextualising archaeological data against localised understandings of environmental conditions has been demonstrated by numerous studies documenting varying intra-and inter-regional environmental conditions and their impact on mollusc carbonate precipitation and fractionation (Bernstein 1990;Gillikin et al 2005a;Hallmann et al 2008;Henry and Cerrato 2007;Jones and Quitmyer 1996). Yet, many researchers continue to rely upon regionally scaled environmental data or extrapolate local data across geographic boundaries (e.g.…”

“…Brockwell et al 2013;Jew et al 2013;Stephens et al 2008). Although high-resolution data is gathered from these specimens, it is unlikely that the results are representative of broader trajectories owing to widely documented variability in local environments and intra-and inter-population responses to environmental conditions (Bernstein 1990;Gillikin et al 2005a;Hallmann et al 2008;Henry and Cerrato 2007;Jones and Quitmyer 1996). As interpretations of isotopic signals recovered from archaeological material rely on modern contextual data, limited sample sizes of modern specimens can lead to the introduction of latent biases and inaccuracies to archaeological interpretations.…”

Oxygen Isotopic Analysis of Archaeological Shells to Detect Seasonal Use of Wetlands on the Southern Pacific Coast of Mexico

“…One component of reconstructing prehistoric subsistence and settlement is accurately determining the seasonality of resource and site use. Evidence for the seasonal use of resources and sites range from the simple presence or absence of seasonally available plants and migratory animal species (Monks, 1981;Deith, 1985) to more complex studies of bone and antler or tooth and shell growth increments (Deith, 1985;Bernstein, 1990;Lieberman, 1993).…”