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

Table 10.3. Park Creek II Botanical Data. 1
Common Name Taxonomic Name Feature 3, Feature 4, Feature 2, Feature 5,
A4 Horizon A4 Horizon A3 Horizon A3 Horizon
NUTSHELL
Acorn Quercus spp. - 1 1 -
Beechnut Fagus grandifolia - - P 2 -
Hickory Carya spp. 1 - - 1
MAIZE
Cupule Zea mays 2 - 1 9
Glume - - - 4
Kernel 1 - 10 23
SEEDS
sunflower cf. Helianthus spp. 1 - - -
sumac Rhus spp. - 2 - -
bramble Rubus spp. - 1 2 -
dock Rumex spp. - 1 - -
1 Wood excluded.
2 P=present in 0.5-2 mm fraction.
Sidell 2000:6). Bramble seeds may be from blackberries,
raspberries, or dewberries collected for food
(Asch Sidell 2000:6).
When unit artifact data from the A3 horizon were
plotted per cubic meter, a pattern similar to that of the
A4 horizon was noted. Artifacts concentrated near
features (Figure 10.4). This pattern held for debitage
and for other chipped-stone artifacts and tools (utilized
flakes, projectile points, and one unifacially
retouched piece). One biface was identified in the A3
horizon and it was located near Feature 2. A second
biface was recovered from Feature 5. Fire-cracked
rock, plotted by weight, concentrated around Feature
5. The single pottery fragment identified at Park
Creek II was located in Feature 2. From these data, it
appeared that the multiple activities associated with
this later occupation concentrated around the two
hearths.
A Summary of the Park Creek II Site
The focus of the Park Creek II site was procuring
and processing multiple dispersed resources. The site
was likely occupied during the late summer/early fall
(evidenced by the seeds, nuts, and maize). If maize
was grown nearby, the site may also have been occupied
in early summer during planting.
Comparing flakes between horizons (feature data
are not included) revealed similarities and differences
in site use between occupations (Table 10.4) 2 . Nine
flake attributes were measured to determine stage of
production and lithic technology (bifacial or expedient):
presence/absence of cortex, cortex type, dorsalscar
count, size, platform angle, platform type, average
flake weight, presence/absence of heat treating/burning,
and presence/absence of utilization 3.
Lithic attributes suggested that site occupants (both
components) were practicing both early- and latestage
reduction at the site. The majority of flakes
lacked cortex and had two or more dorsal scars, indicating
late-stage reduction and/or bifacial thinning
(tool maintenance). In terms of size, at least 49 percent
of the flakes from both components were less than
0.25 inch in size. Flake size, combined with the low
average flake weight, further suggested that latestage
reduction and/or tool maintenance/resharpening
and not tool manufacture,
occurred at the site. In contrast, the majority of flake
platform angles (A4 and A3 horizons) ranged
between 45° and 90° and at least half of the flakes in
both components had flat platforms, indicating earlystage
reduction. While both components contained
flakes with faceted platforms, often a product of latestage
reduction/bifacial thinning, only the A3 horizon
contained platforms that measured ≤45°, another
indicator of late-stage reduction/bifacial thinning.
Debitage attributes and the presence of bifaces and
flake tools suggested that site occupants used curated
200 Miroff