The eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) was an important resource for Mississippian period (ca. A.D. 1000-1450) peoples in Middle Tennessee. Turkeys were an integral part of Native American life and their use for food and raw materials is well documented. A preliminary study of human and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) relationships at Fewkes (40WM1) suggests that turkeys may have been a managed resource at the site as opposed to being hunted in the wild. To further test this hypothesis, I collected osteometric data from eleven additional sites and isotopic data from three sites. I apply Niche Construction Theory to my examination of archaeological, biological, and ethnographic material to illustrate that turkeys were potentially managed under a free-range system that did not require supplemental feeding or captivity. This particular management strategy presents archaeologically as a high percentage of male turkeys with little to no indication that humans were in control of the bird’s diet. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester 2018. / March 21, 2018. / management, Mississippian, niche construction, Tennessee, turkey / Includes bibliographical references. / Tanya M. Peres, Professor Directing Thesis; Rochelle A. Marrinan, Committee Member; Jessi H. Halligan, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_653454 |
| Contributors | Ledford, Kelly L. (author), Peres, Tanya M (professor directing thesis), Marrinan, Rochelle A. (committee member), Halligan, Jessi J (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Anthropology (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, master thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (147 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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