Date
Fall 12-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Location
Mobile, AL
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Phil Carr and Erin Nelson
Abstract
Analyses of Weeden Island culture and Tate’s Hammock phase pottery are sparse throughout the literature and tend to adopt a culture historical approach. This study uses pottery sherds from the Bayou St. John assemblage to conduct a functional analysis in order to determine what food related activities took place at this site during the Tate’s Hammock phase and Weeden Island culture. By comparing vessel form with orifice diameter, temper material and size, and a subassemblage that was likely connected to mound activities, this study was able to determine multiple patterns. Cooking and storage vessels were the most common vessel forms identified in the assemblage. The most frequent temper material amongst the assemblage was sand and the majority of the assemblage had fine-medium sized temper. Within the subassemblage, cooking, storage, and serving vessels were the most common vessel forms, sand was the most common temper material, but the temper size tended to be finer. These findings suggest that cooking and storage were the most common food related activities during the Tate’s Hammock phase, but that serving was more frequent near the mound.
Recommended Citation
Talbert, Emily, "Functional Analysis of Weeden Island Pottery from Bayou St. John" (2018). Anthropology Undergraduate Senior Theses. 13.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/anthro_ugrad_theses/13