Northeast Subsistence-Settlement Change: A.D. 700 –1300

suggests that the gathering of wild grains was also
practiced at Thomas/Luckey. While residents at both
sites collected nuts in the fall, hickory was favored at
Thomas/Luckey and butternut at Broome Tech.
Spatial Organization
Spatial information furnishes insights into the functional
arrangement of activities and may also reflect
elements of a community’s social organization. In this
vein, it is interesting that the use of space clearly differentiates
Thomas/Luckey and Broome Tech.
Occupation of the eastern portion of Thomas/
Luckey centers on Structure 1, a substantial longhouse
(Figure 9.11). When originally constructed, the
house was 6.5 m wide and 19.5 m long. At some point
in its use-life, the occupants of Structure 1 expanded
the house to the west for a final length of 32 m, which
represents a 64 percent expansion of interior space.
Historically, these structures housed a single matrilineal-matrilocal
descent group made up of a core of
mother, sisters, and daughters (Fenton 1978; Trigger
1985). It is generally believed that as this household of
related women grew in size, the longhouses were
expanded to accommodate this demographic change.
The transgenerational growth of the household and
concomitant expansion of Structure 1 indicates that
Thomas/Luckey served as sedentary settlement for at
least several generations.
On Late Prehistoric and Historic sites a common
refuse disposal practice involves the removal of
garbage to the village’s edge and/or along palisades
(Heidenreich 1971:147; Jones and Jones 1980:194; Latta
1985; Prezzano 1992; Ritchie and Funk 1973:170).
Notable for its absence in the immediate vicinity of
Structure 1 is any evidence for midden deposits. This is
likely the result of the areas tested, which concentrated
on the longhouse and the ridge on which it lies. The
Figure 9.11. Organization of space around Structure 1 at Thomas/Luckey.
Chapter 9 Pits, Plants, and Place: Recognizing Late Prehistoric Subsistence and Settlement Diversity in the Upper Susquehanna Drainage 185