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Somewhere between Wild and Domestic: An Examination of the Human-Turkey Relationship during the Mississippian Period in Middle Tennessee

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.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_653454
ContributorsLedford, 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)
PublisherFlorida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text, master thesis
Format1 online resource (147 pages), computer, application/pdf

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