Subsistence, Butchery, and Commercialization in Knox County, Tennessee

A multifaceted approach to zooarchaeology is used to attain a broader diachronic view of Upland South subsistence and market activities as commercialization increased nationwide. Greater beef consumption is evidenced through faunal remains as availability and affordability increase with technological advancements. Paralleling this trend is an increased acceptance and purchase of Georgian cuts (individual hams and beef steaks) gaining popularity over time.

In order to investigate this pattern, a sample of six historic archaeological sites in Knox County, Tennessee, differing in proximity to urban markets, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and temporal context was chosen. General time ranges from the late eighteenth through the mid-twentieth century are used for descriptive purposes, and incorporate relevant historical, subsistence, and butchery data to demonstrate archaeological trends of a developing meat market. Additionally, the author proposes the identification of butchery saw and cut width measurements in historic zooarchaeology to glean greater information on individual site activities and market involvement.