Foodways of the Late Archaic people of St. Catherines Island, Georgia: an analysis of vertebrate remains from two shell rings

Abstract

ABSTRACT The results of a large study of vertebrate remains from two shell rings on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, are presented: the St. Catherines (9LI231) and McQueen (9LI1648) Shell Rings. The vertebrate archaeofaunal collections are used to infer foodways of Late Archaic people on St. Catherines Island, which centered on a limited suite of small-bodied, estuarine fishes. Given the prevalence of small-bodied fishes, Late Archaic people deployed a number of mass-capture fishing technologies which may have necessitated shared labor and community cooperation. Although there are similarities in the vertebrate assemblages at these two rings, suggesting a shared foodways tradition, differences are notable. These differences may indicate that the occupants of the two rings had unique preferred or controlled fishing grounds. The zooarchaeological collections also are used to contextualize the vertebrate data within the current formational models proposed for Late Archaic shell rings. Vertebrate remains align with models that interpret shell rings as the result of Late Archaic people living in circular villages, discarding refuse from daily meals; however, these animals were also featured in a ritualized event highlighting their relevance and meaning beyond food.