Doctoral Dissertation Research Award: Characterization of Complex Forager Society

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

When and why humans chose to depart mainlands in favor of islands are fundamental questions asked by anthropologists. Decision-making is shaped by issues still faced today, such as intra- and inter-group conflict or environmental conditions. Prehistoric archaeological deposits are particularly well suited to examining the incipient colonization of island landmasses, as well as the nature of early habitation, because they typically offer the first and only physical records of past human activity. Within a broader context of island settlement and use, Ryan Harke will study native fisher-gatherer populations who inhabited the only subtropical small-island ecosystems in North America. This research project will also have specific outcomes relating to public interest, including pre-modern seawater temperature data and new interpretive signage to educate visitors on the cultural and environmental history of the region. Scientific evidence demonstrates that tropical archipelagoes are the sum of interconnected terrestrial, nearshore, and pelagic habitats, many of which provided suitable marine subsistence resources, shelters, and trading grounds throughout human history. Thus, the archaeology of "marginal" small-island ecosystems offers the foundation to model human lifeways at and journeys to such places across the globe, and compare culturally and/or biologically distinct populations. This research will focus on the historical, ethnohistorical, and zooarchaeological datasets of the island of Key West, to determine when prehistoric Native Americans reached the island, and whether they constructed year-round villages there. These questions will be addressed using a method similar to dendrochronology (the study of tree rings) called sclerochronology. Using this technique on modern clam shells and those discarded by ancient peoples will reveal annual cycles of seawater temperature and salinity contained in their isotopic (geochemical) signatures, indicating season of habitation. By sampling a large collection of midden shells and evaluating the seasonality of other associated animal remains, this research will determine whether a fishing economy could be based on freshwater-deficient coral islands year-round. The Keys are a vital case study for worldwide colonization models in human island biogeography, as their indigenous peoples offer a rare circumstance of non-agricultural groups relocating to small islands. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.