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

B
B
M
F42 F43 F41
F44
S5 S4 S1
F30
B
S2
B
B
B
F25
F34
F33
S3
F36
F40
F37
F39
N
0 30 m
LEGEND
M Mound B Burial
S Structure
Midden
F Feature
Figure 2.10. Map of the transitional Late Prehistoric Killen site (adapted from Brose 1982).
J. Skiba
indicate the throwaway nature of the tool — that is,
locally made triangular points are readily manufactured
and are not as carefully curated as these and
other tools may have been previously (Yerkes and
Pecora 1991).
Ceramic containers were tempered now with shell,
limestone, and a combination of shell with one or more
materials. Shell tempering (which was not used by Late
Woodland populations) occurs in relatively low frequencies
(approximately 5 percent) in transitional
assemblages, increasing to 20 percent at early Fort
Ancient sites such as Kramer, Gartner, and Baum
(Church 1987). Its appearance may be related to its
utility for maintaining vessel integrity in both firing
and cooking processes. Vessel shape is still that of a jar
with a restricted orifice.
Agricultural implements in the form of shell and
deer/elk scapula hoes have been found at some sites,
but are rare to absent at earlier sites. The use of expedient
materials for hoes, especially mollusk shells, is
quite evident at early Fort Ancient sites, where they
are a ubiquitous type of artifact. The absence of such
tools from earlier sites could be explained in one of
two ways: (1) agricultural activities were not as
intense during the Late Woodland period in central
Ohio and northern Kentucky; or (2) hoes were made
from materials other than shell and bone, such as
slate, sandstone, or limestone — materials that have
longer use-lives and hence a higher curation value.
In terms of storage technology, large deep pits
exceeding 800 liters in volume are present at Howard
Baum, Blain, Voss, and Muir, but are noticeably
absent at Killen and within Turpin phase sites (Cowan
1986). For instance, at Muir, at least one large-pit feature
is located adjacent to individual structures. It
would appear that resource storage had a bearing on
the distribution of houses and storage features within
these sites. In addition, the total area of the site
becomes larger, but all of the space within the site
boundaries was not used for structures. Instead, site
size seems to reflect both habitation space and agricultural
space. If Muir, Killen, and Howard Baum are
representative of this time period, then large, contiguous
fields such as those described for the Huron and
Iroquois are lacking, with individual households cultivating
their own agricultural plots.
Chapter 2 Central Ohio Valley During the Late Prehistoric Period: Subsistance-Settlement Systems’ Responses to Risk 25