Plant Remains from the Smokemont Site in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina

Smokemont (31Sw393) is a multicomponent site consisting of deposits from Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee, and Euro-American occupations. Located in Swain County in the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, two structures have been identified at Smokemont, one as a Mississippian Pisgah phase house, and the other a Contact period Qualla phase house. Beneath the Pisgah house are several Connestee period pit features. Archaeobotanical remains have been collected from Woodland, Mississippian, and Cherokee contexts. Floral analysis of Middle Woodland features indicate some horticultural activity, with wild plants remaining important but supplementary to maize agriculture during the Mississippian and Cherokee occupations. This thesis provides an analysis of the plant remains found in Woodland, Mississippian, and Cherokee features. Archaeobotanical remains from the three components are compared to examine how site function and plant use change through time at this location. Finally, activities at Smokemont will be compared to other sites in the Appalachian Summit to determine if the settlements at Smokemont share trends in plant use found throughout the region.