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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Welch, James M. 1983 - AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TWO PREHISTORIC SITES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA.
Abstract: Two prehistoric sites,
the South Prong I site (8-Hi-418) and the Cates site (8-Hi-425), were
excavated in order to mitigate the adverse impact of the construction
of a phosphate mine utility corridor. A research design was contrived
with seven project goals. These goals include determining the sites'
spatial boundaries, ascertaining cultural components and temporal periods
of occupation represented by these components, determining the nature
of specific and discrete episodes of occupation, determining site function,
locating discrete activity areas within each site, elucidating data pertinent
to resource procurement, and determining the relationship of the two
sites to other known archaeological resources in the region. In order
to address these goals most effectively, an excavation methodology was
employed that first attempted to sample the site universe in a nonrandom
manner and then called for the expansion of contiguous excavation units
in areas of increased artifact occurrence. The analysis component of
the research relied heavily upon the functional and morphological examination
of lithic artifacts. The ceramic component of the artifact assemblage
was subjected to a technological and morphological analysis. Other aspects
of analysis concerned floral remains, faunal remains, soil flotation,
soil pH values, radiocarbon dating, and historic materials. The South
Prong I site was a large site with occupations ranging from the Late
Paleo-Indian through Safety Harbor Periods. These occupations were by
small groups of individuals for only short durations but ranging over
a long chronological span. By contrast, the remaining portion of the
Cates site was quite small and had temporally diagnostic artifacts representative
of only the Archaic Period. While also occupied by small groups of
aborigines for short periods of time, the Cates site was inhabited only
once or, at best, a limited number of times. It is suggested that both
sites' inhabitants were dependent on hunting game animals and recognized
the nearby fresh water source of the South Prong of the Alafia River
as necessary for human and faunal existence. Several hypotheses and a
settlement system model are examined in terms of applicability to the
sites and surrounding region.
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