Taphonomy, diversity, and seasonality of Cashie Phase faunal assemblages from the Jordan's Landing Site, 31Br7, North Carolina

This study provides an evaluation of the faunal remains from the Jordan's Landing Site (31Br7) and inferences. concerning subsistence of the Cashie Phase occupants of the site. There are no previous studies of subsistence for Cashie Phase sites. The Cashie Phase has a temporal placement of 800-1600(?) AD, and is located in the Inner Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Prehistoric Cashie culture has been identified as the precursor to that of the Tuscarora groups of the Historic Period.

Jordan's Landing is a village site on the Roanoke River near Williamston, N.C.. The village was situated on a sandy loam ridge next to the confluence of a small stream and the river. Faunal remains from four features belonging to the Cashie Phase were analyzed for this thesis.

Taphonomic analysis of the assemblages reveals a variety of agents that have acted on the skeletons. Human processing resulted in smashed, burned, and cut bone fragments. Canids were active in the village, having ravaged many of the specimens. The low percentage of small and medium size mammals as well as reptiles, amphibians, and fish in Feature 1, an open ditch, probably results from canid activity. The remaining three features, which were closed after filling, contain significantly greater percentages of the smaller fauna. A large number of deer phalanges as well as several whole, unscathed bones indicate that there was a large quantity of deer remains deposited in the ditch relative to the number of dogs that had access to the carcasses.

Species diversity in the four assemblages is explored. There are 38 species represented in the entire sample and the reciprocal Simpson's Index value is 14.32.

Seasonality of the village is explored by examining mammal remains in Feature 1. Evidence of deposition in all four seasons is found, though strongest for summer and spring. It is inferred that the village was not entirely abandoned in the winter.