Paleoethnobotany of the Late Woodland Mason Phase in the Elk and Duck River Valleys, Tennessee

A substantial sample of paleobotanical residues from two Late Woodland Mason phase components in southeastern Middle Tennessee were examined. The data were analyzed to determine what plants were available to Mason populations, which of those plants were utilized, the local geographic areas exploited, and the impact of man's procurement practices on the environment. Inferences derived from paleobotanical analysis are used to suggest a pattern of Mason plant utilization that can be integrated with other subsystems to provide definitive statements concerning the cultural whole. These statements provide a basis for comparing Mason with other cultural manifestations in the local cultural sequence of the Eastern Highland Rim.