Faunal Resources, Butchering Patterns, and Seasonality at the Eastman Rockshelter (40SL34): An Interpretation of Function

This study presents a model on the role the Eastman Rockshelter (40SL34) played in settlement-subsistence systems of prehistoric human groups who once occupied northeastern Tennessee. Expectations generated from the model are tested through the analysis of a faunal sample recovered from the shelter. These remains date from the Late Archaic to Mississippian time periods. The fauna is well preserved and represents a variety of species including the first archaeological occurrence of an extinct fish, the harelip sucker.

The model assumes a shift in shelter use from earlier residentially mobile hunter/gatherer groups to its later use by task force hunting groups. It predicts that this shift resulted from an increase in human population through time, a greater dependence on agriculture, and a change to sedentary settlement. It was expected that a greater variety of faunal resources would be obtained in later time periods as compared to earlier periods. However, no major difference in taxa diversity was noticed for Mississippian and Woodland deposits. Common species that were identified include white-tailed deer, squirrel, turkey, turtle, and fish. Although Archaic deposits contained less taxa than later periods, this was attributed to the small faunal assemblage size for these deposits. Bone preservation and the difficulty of separating natural from cultural bone, prevented assigning the identified faunal pattern between deposits soley to human behavior.

Another expectation tested was that cervid butchering patterns especially in the number of filleting marks, would reflect a shift through time from immediate consumption toward one in which carcasses were processed for storage and transport back to more permanent villages. Unfortunately, the frequency of filleting marks on the cervid remains sampled was too low to refute or support this expectation. The frequency of Minimal Animal Units (MAU) (Binford 1981, 1984) for sampled cervid remains, however, could be grouped temporally into three categories (Archaic, Early/Middle Woodland, and Late Woodland/ Mississippian) . Although a shift in roles for the Eastman Rockshelter may be indicated, the presence of canid gnawed bone is discussed and an attempt is made to uncover whether the frequency of cervid bone may have resulted from domestic dog activity or scavenging wolves.

A third expectation concerns an increase through time in seasonal occupation of the rockshelter. Evidence was generated from analyses of annuli growth measurements in freshwater catfish and bivalves, eruption and wear of white-tailed deer teeth, and the presence of migratory birds. Such data for the post-Archaic time periods suggests an occupation centering on late summer through fall. Although differences exist in the number of seasonal indicators recovered between deposits, the overall consistency in site seasonality offers insight into the role this rockshelter may have occupied during human prehistory in northeastern Tennessee.