Near and Deer: Variability in Animal Economies of the Late Woodland and Historic Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia

The continuity and change of Native Piedmont foodways during the Late Woodland (AD 800-1600) and Historic (after c. AD 1600) periods have been explored from several perspectives. In the larger context of piecing together the culture history of the southern Piedmont, however, there are still questions to be asked at the regional level. The current study builds on preexisting zooarchaeological research to identify patterns of subsistence practices within and among river basins before and during the process of cultural contact, spanning AD 1000-1710. Through a multi-scalar and geospatial meta-analysis of 22 faunal assemblages from 19 sites within the North Carolina and Virginia Piedmont, I ask how did past Native communities shape their animal economies to the particular environmental and cultural settings of the Piedmont during the Late Woodland and Historic Periods?Master of Art