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Prehistoric Trade Networks in the Lake Okeechobee Region: Evidence from the Ritta Island and Kreamer Island Sites

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Prehistoric Trade Networks in the Lake Okeechobee Region: Evidence from the Ritta Island and Kreamer Island Sites Prehistoric Trade Networks in the Lake Okeechobee Region: Evidence from the Ritta Island and Kreamer Island Sites by Gregory J. Mount A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida August 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As I was once told, a thesis is not the work of a single person, nor is it a sprint. This thesis follows that adage. I would like to thank my advisory committee; Dr. Arlene Fradkin, Dr. Clifford Brown and Mr. Christian Davenport. Their suggestions and revisions turned a simple paper into the finished document in the pages that follow. I would like to specifically thank my chair, Dr. Fradkin for the countless hours spent revising, her patience and her drive to see me through. I will forever be in debt to Mr. Boots Boyer, without whom the data for this research and for the larger project, would never have been gathered. He truly is a steward of preservation and a man of honor. Aside from being on my committee, Mr. Christian Davenport should also be recognized. Without his guidance, friendship and desire to see me succeed, I would have never finished. I am fortunate to have worked for him and with him for the past 4 years. Last and certainly not least I wish to thank my parents Gene and Karen Mount and my late grandparents John and Ethel Bellas. I have always tried to do the right thing and make you proud. As I close this trial and open another tribulation, I want you to know how appreciative I am for everything you have given me and the support you have shown. iii ABSTRACT Author: Gregory J. Mount Title: Prehistoric Trade Networks in the Lake Okeechobee Region: Evidence from the Ritta Island and Kreamer Island Sites Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Dr. Arlene Fradkin Degree: Master of Arts Year: 2009 During pre-Columbian times, the Lake Okeechobee region was home to people of the Belle Glade culture. The lake provided an area rich in resources that facilitated not only the hunter-gatherer-fisher lifestyle of the people but also supported increased cultural complexity. Over time, people participated in an exchange network, trading materials with cultural groups from a variety of locations. This thesis provides an analysis of those non-local artifacts, their probable points of origins and the type of exchange that facilitated the movement of these goods into the region. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................. 1 Lake Okeechobee and the Archaeological Sites in this Study .......................... 2 Ritta Island .................................................................................................... 3 Kreamer Island .............................................................................................. 5 Objectives ......................................................................................................... 6 Environmental Setting....................................................................................... 6 Florida Paleolandscape................................................................................. 7 Physiographic Regions.................................................................................. 8 Lake Okeechobee Region Geology............................................................. 10 Lake Okeechobee Region Soils .................................................................. 11 Hydrology and Historical and Modern Drainage .......................................... 11 CHAPTER II PREVIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND CULTURAL HISTORY........................................................................................ 15 Cultural History................................................................................................... 20 The Paleoindian Period ............................................................................... 21 The Archaic Period...................................................................................... 21 The Belle Glade Period ............................................................................... 23 CHAPTER III MATERIALS AND METHODS...................................................... 26 v Survey ......................................................................................................... 27 Excavation................................................................................................... 28 Data Processing and Analysis..................................................................... 31 CHAPTER IV RESULTS .................................................................................... 34 Ritta Island .................................................................................................. 34 Lithics....................................................................................................... 36 Ceramics.................................................................................................. 37 Marine Shell............................................................................................. 37 Kreamer Island ............................................................................................ 38 Marine Shell............................................................................................. 38 Ceramics.................................................................................................. 42 Lithics....................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER V RECONSTRUCTING TRADE ROUTES ....................................... 47 Source of Non-Local Artifacts...................................................................... 47 Lithics .......................................................................................................... 47 Marine Shell ................................................................................................ 51 Ceramics ..................................................................................................... 54 Reconstructing Trade Routes...................................................................... 54 Types of Exchange...................................................................................... 58 Implications of Trade in the Paradigm of Cultural Complexity ..................... 59 CHAPTER VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS............................................... 64 APPENDIX SHELL TOOL DATA BY TOOL TYPE ............................................. 66 REFERENCES CITED ....................................................................................... 72 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Study Sites.......................................................................... 4 Figure 2. Physiographic Regions of South Florida................................................ 9 Figure 3. Rivers of South Florida........................................................................ 13 Figure 4. Cultural Regions of South Florida........................................................ 16 Figure 5. Ritta Island Location of Excavations.................................................... 29 Figure 6. Kreamer Island Location of Excavations ............................................. 30 Figure 7. Lithic Sources in the Assemblage from Ritta Island............................. 50 Figure 8. Marine Shell Sources and Potential Trade Routes.............................. 53 Figure 9. Proposed Trade Routes ...................................................................... 55 Figure 10. Archaeological Sites along the Democrat River ................................ 57 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Ceramics from Ritta Island ............................................... 35 Table 2. Summary of Lithics from Ritta Island .................................................... 35 Table 3. Taxa Present in Shell Artifact Assemblage from Kreamer Island ......... 39 Table 4. Formal Marine Shell Tool Types from Kreamer Island.......................... 40 Table 5. Summary of Ceramics from Kreamer Island......................................... 44 Table 6. Raw-Material Type by Artifact Class from Ritta Island.......................... 49 Table A-1. Gastropod Cutting-Edged Tools........................................................ 66 Table A-2. Gastropod Hammers......................................................................... 66 Table A-3. Anvil, Gorget and Debitage ............................................................... 67 Table A-4. Columella Cutting-Edged Tools, Perforators and Hammers ............. 67 Table A-5. Sinkers and Pendants ....................................................................... 68 Table A-6. Gastropod Adzes/Celts ..................................................................... 69 Table A-7. Gastropod Scraper Type A and Type B ............................................ 70 Table A-8. Bivalve Tools..................................................................................... 71 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Centrally located in south Florida, Lake Okeechobee has been used for various purposes over its 5,000 years of existence. For some people, the
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