Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1990

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Anthropology

Major Professor

Richard L. Jantz

Committee Members

Walter E. Klippel, Fred H. Smith

Abstract

Measurements of percent cortical bone area in femoral sections recovered from two geographically distinct areas of North Carolina are presented. The femora were recovered from archaeological sites 1) on the North Carolina coast and 2) in the North Carolina Piedmont. Both groups represent the Late Woodland. The Piedmont group relied on hunting-gathering, supplemented with insipient agriculture. The coastal group relied primarily (almost exclusively) on estuarine resources as a subsistence base. The mean percent cortical area was significantly higher in the coastal group, suggesting a better dietary adaptation. Additionally, anteroposterior and mediolateral diameters of the femoral sections were taken in order to assess mechanical stress on the lower limbs. These measures indicate that the Piedmont group may have tended towards a higher division of labor associated with subsistence activities.

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