Coles Creek diet traditionally was believed to have been based on maize agriculture due to the number, size, and complexity of Coles Creek sites. However, direct archaeological evidence in the form of maize kernels and pollen generally has been lacking. This bioarchaeological study of nine skeletal samples from the southern Lower Mississippi Valley further supports the view that Coles Creek diet was not based on maize agriculture. Data from stable isotopes, dental, and skeletal pathologies were evaluated by comparisons to data from hunter-gatherer, mixed, and agricultural populations taken from the literature, through the use of a modified Dental Pathology Profile (DPP), and among temporal and regional categories defined by the populations examined in this study Based on the modified DPP and comparisons to the literature, the Coles Creek data collected in this study are more similar to hunter-gatherer populations or those with a transitional-mixed subsistence base than to agricultural populations. Dental pathologies and stable isotopes indicate that, though their consumption gradually increased, dietary carbohydrates remained a minor component of the diet throughout the Coles Creek period. Also, non-specific pathologies in both adults and subadults indicate that childhood morbidity and mortality increased during this time. Finally, data from this study suggest that regional differences in resource exploitation existed between coastal and inland populations during the Coles Creek period / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_25967 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Contributors | Listi, Ginesse A (Author), Verano, John W (Thesis advisor) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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