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ZOOARCHAEOLOGY AT THE COFFEY SITE (14PO1): MID-HOLOCENE ECONOMY ON THE PRAIRIE PLAINS
Unruh, David Terrill
Unruh, David Terrill
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Abstract
The Coffey Site (14PO1) on the Prairie Plains border in northeastern Kansas has influenced theories on middle Holocene subsistence behavior since its excavation in the early 1970s, serving as a prime example of a broad-spectrum economy adapted to the rigors of the Hypsithermal Period. A reanalysis of the faunal assemblage from this important site reveals new aspects of behavior at Coffey through zooarchaeological methods not used in initial reporting of the site. This analysis suggests that while the economy made use of a number of faunal resources including fish, turtles, and possibly waterfowl, bison were a highly ranked and heavily utilized species. A broad-spectrum economy may therefore be somewhat overstated in relation to Coffey. Examination of site formation processes and taphonomy of bones sheds light on assemblage characteristics, and examination of cultural modification to bones reveals intense utilization of species such as deer and bison. Bison tooth wear and eruption analysis indicates occupations during summer and winter, in comparison with previous interpretations that placed occupation from spring through fall. Variability inherent in subsistence practices suggests that behaviors exhibited at Coffey are not necessarily appropriate for other groups throughout the Plains, or at other times during the middle Holocene.
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Date
2009-01-29
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Anthropology, Archaeology, Archaic, Coffey, Middle Holocene, Subsistence, Zooarchaeology