“Island Archaeology and the Native American Economies (2500 B.C. – A.D. 1700) of the Georgia Coast” The small islands off the East coast of North America may appear to simply be marshlands, but from an ecological and archaeological perspective they are teeming with information. Researchers are interested in whether the smaller islands were important to Native American economies before European contact, during contact, and/or after? This is one of the questions authors Victor Thompson and John Turck address. The smaller, less accessible islands are the primary focus, to stray away from a bias towards large islands which are more favorable for settlement. However, no matter the size, islands have an appeal to humans.
Victor Thompson and John Turck set out to explore four small islands (each less than 0.5 sq. km) to discover the role small coastal islands played in Native American coastal economies. Off the Georgia coast, between the mainland and Sapelo Island, lie the study areas of Patterson Island, Pumpkin Hammock, Mary Hammock, and Little Sapelo Island. The tidal ebbs can make traveling between these islands difficult, but not impossible. Thompson and Turck suggest the small islands were central to the functions of Native American coastal economies despite major environmental and social changes as well as the introduction of maize, European …show more content…
All soil from the shovel test probes were sifted through a 6 mm mesh screen. The weights of shell and pottery sherds were measured on all islands except for Little Sapelo Island (where the thickness of shell midden layers was measured). The pottery sherds represent the most time sensitive artifacts which allowed researchers to date and dictate a time scale of occupation on these
Victor Thompson and John Turck set out to explore four small islands (each less than 0.5 sq. km) to discover the role small coastal islands played in Native American coastal economies. Off the Georgia coast, between the mainland and Sapelo Island, lie the study areas of Patterson Island, Pumpkin Hammock, Mary Hammock, and Little Sapelo Island. The tidal ebbs can make traveling between these islands difficult, but not impossible. Thompson and Turck suggest the small islands were central to the functions of Native American coastal economies despite major environmental and social changes as well as the introduction of maize, European …show more content…
All soil from the shovel test probes were sifted through a 6 mm mesh screen. The weights of shell and pottery sherds were measured on all islands except for Little Sapelo Island (where the thickness of shell midden layers was measured). The pottery sherds represent the most time sensitive artifacts which allowed researchers to date and dictate a time scale of occupation on these