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

portion of the Susquehanna Valley, maize was not
important due to the diverse array of aquatic and
avian specimens that were available from local lakes
and streams. Instead, when maize was grown, it may
have been grown simply as a dietary supplement and
not as an economic staple.
Second, if the Oneonta-Worchester area continued
to be occupied as a resource procurement area
throughout the early Late Woodland period, it seems
reasonable to expect that corn may have been grown
elsewhere and carried to the area for consumption at
a later time (Chilton 1999). This theory would certainly
account for the apparent absence of such remains
on early Late Woodland sites and would be consistent
with changes in ceramic technology that were occurring
during this time period. Although a study of the
trace element composition of the early Late Woodland
vessels from the Fortin II, Street, and Ouleout sites
does not suggest that ceramic containers were regularly
moving across the Susquehanna Valley (Rieth
1997), it is plausible that some other woven or perishable
container could have been used to transport
maize into the Oneonta-Worchester area.
An important aspect of this research relates to the
timing and the duration of use of the Oneonta-
Worchester area during the late Middle and early Late
Woodland periods. As discussed at the beginning of
this chapter, archaeologists (Snethkamp 1975; Versaggi
1987) often suggest that the Oneonta-Worchester area
was virtually abandoned as a result of the coalescence
of prehistoric populations into larger multifamily
units during the late Middle and early Late Woodland
periods. In fact, the results of this project indicate just
the opposite. Assuming that the calibrated radiocarbon
dates for these sites are accurate, we can conclude
that the region remained an important hunting and
gathering area long after the initial introduction of
maize into the valley during the tenth century A.D.
The fact that four of the seven (57 percent) dated components
produced calibrated radiocarbon dates
between A.D. 1000 and 1300, may further suggest that
these groups not only continued to use the region as a
resource procurement area, but may have intensified
their use of the area following the initial introduction
of this cultigen.
Between A.D. 700 and 1300, archaeological evidence
suggests that the prehistoric occupation of the
Oneonta-Worchester area remained relatively
unchanged despite events occurring in other parts of
the Upper Susquehanna Valley. During this time period,
the region continued to be occupied as a small
resource procurement area with the location of camps
initially confined to the floodplains of the
Susquehanna River. Valley floors, valley walls, and
upland areas were incorporated into the seasonal settlement
round during the early Late Woodland period,
allowing the region’s occupants the opportunity
to exploit a diverse array of plants and animals.
Despite a shift in the location of these sites, the size of
these camps remained fairly constant suggesting that
the composition and organization of hunting and
resource procurement groups was not altered during
this period.
CONCLUSION
In order to adequately understand the complex settlement
and subsistence patterns of these prehistoric
populations, we must assess the role of both large and
small sites within the larger system. This chapter
examines a group of short-term occupations located
at the northern end of the Susquehanna Valley near
the confluence of the Susquehanna River with the
Ouleout and Schenevus Creeks. Despite their small
size, these sites have provided important information
about the seasonal occupation of the region, the range
of settlement activities, and the types of resources that
were exploited by these prehistoric populations during
the early Late Prehistoric period.
Analysis of these small sites is important in understanding
early Late Prehistoric settlement and subsistence
patterns in the Southern Tier of New York. In
the Oneonta-Worchester region, analysis of the settlement
features of these sites suggests variation in the
size, spatial arrangement, and organization of small
and large camps. The artifacts from these sites suggest
that tasks associated with hunting, fishing, and gathering
were important tasks completed at the sites.
Analysis of the floral and faunal remains from these
sites suggests that the Oneonta-Worchester area,
although primarily occupied by short-term occupations,
was probably utilized as a resource procurement
area for much of the year.
Archaeologists often consider the Oneonta-
Worchester area to have been abandoned during the
early Late Prehistoric period. Although the region
was not occupied as extensively as other parts of the
Susquehanna Valley, radiocarbon dates from these
sites suggest that the region remained an important
resource procurement area throughout the fourteenth
century. Continued documentation of these small
sites in the future will not only contribute to our
understanding of the occupation of the Oneonta-
Chapter 11 Early Late Prehistoric Settlement and Subsistence Diversity in the Southern Tier of New York 223