Investigations of Investigations of Paleobotanical and Paleobotanical and Zooarchaeological Data Zooarchaeological Data from Dust Cave, Alabamafrom Dust Cave, Alabama

Kandace HollenbachKandace Hollenbach (University of (University of Tennessee)Tennessee)

Renee B. Walker Renee B. Walker (SUNY Oneonta)(SUNY Oneonta)

Location of Dust CaveLocation of Dust Cave

Test and Excavation Test and Excavation UnitsUnits

Entrance TrenchEntrance Trench

StratigraphyStratigraphy

Hearth

Ash Pit

Remnant of Clay-lined floor

Hearth

Dust Cave ChronologyDust Cave Chronology

Late PaleoindianLate Paleoindian– Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton ComponentQuad/Beaver Lake/Dalton Component

11,500-9,500 cal B.C. 11,500-9,500 cal B.C. Early Archaic Early Archaic

– Early Side-Notched ComponentEarly Side-Notched Component 9,500-6,900 cal B.C.9,500-6,900 cal B.C.

Middle ArchaicMiddle Archaic– Kirk Stemmed ComponentKirk Stemmed Component

8800-8200 cal B.C.8800-8200 cal B.C.– Eva/Morrow Mountain ComponentEva/Morrow Mountain Component

6400-4000 cal B.C.6400-4000 cal B.C.– Benton ComponentBenton Component

4500-3600 cal B.C.4500-3600 cal B.C.

Current AnalysisCurrent Analysis

Focus on Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton, Early Focus on Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton, Early Side-Notched, and Kirk Stemmed Side-Notched, and Kirk Stemmed components. components. – These components span a time of These components span a time of

environmental change in North America, environmental change in North America, including both the end of the Pleistocene and including both the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene and the the beginning of the Holocene and the Hypsithermal period. Hypsithermal period.

– The data from these components represent the The data from these components represent the greatest overlap between the analyses of the greatest overlap between the analyses of the archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data.archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data.

Animal ClassAnimal Class

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

U T R Q P

Zone

Percent

Fish Amphib Rep Bird Mammal

11

, 50

0 ca

l B

.C.

95

00

cal

B.C

.

58

00

cal B

.C.

Canada Goose humeri Canada Goose humeri cachecache

Branta canadensis Branta canadensis (Canada Goose) (Canada Goose)

Cut and scrape marks on 19 Cut and scrape marks on 19 of the 23 specimens of the 23 specimens specimensspecimens

Located in zone T3, which Located in zone T3, which corresponds to the corresponds to the Quad/Beaver Lake Quad/Beaver Lake component.component.

Walker and Parmalee 2004

Aquatic Species Aquatic Species RepresentedRepresented

Aquatic species

050

100150200

250300350400

11,500-9500 cal B.C. 9500-6900 cal B.C. 8200-5800 cal B.C.

NISP

Aquatic species

Beaver Humerus Beaver Humerus (with cutmarks from Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton (with cutmarks from Quad/Beaver Lake/Dalton Component)Component)

Richness, Diversity & EquitabilityRichness, Diversity & Equitability

Richness is the number of taxa represented.Richness is the number of taxa represented. Diversity (H’) is the heterogeneity of an Diversity (H’) is the heterogeneity of an

assemblage.assemblage.

Equitability (V’) is the evenness of the distribution Equitability (V’) is the evenness of the distribution between taxa.between taxa.

i

Logps

iipH

1

LogSHV /

Shannon-Weaver Function (Reitz and Wing 1999:105)

RichnessRichness

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

U T R Q P

Zones

N

11

, 50

0 ca

l B

.C.

95

00

cal B

.C.

58

00

cal B

.C.

DiversityDiversity

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

U T R Q P

Zones

11

, 50

0 ca

l B

.C.

95

00

cal B

.C.

58

00

cal B

.C.

EquitabilityEquitability

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

U T R Q P

Zones1

1, 5

00

cal

B.C

.

95

00

cal

B.C

.

58

00

cal B

.C.