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Using Multistaged Magnetic Survey and Excavation to Assess Community Settlement Organization: A Case Study from the Central Peninsular Gulf Coast of Florida

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2019

Christina Perry Sampson*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, 610 E. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI48109-1259, USA
Timothy J. Horsley
Affiliation:
Horsley Archaeological Prospection LLC, 518 Park Avenue, DeKalb, IL60115, USA
*
(cper@umich.edu, corresponding author)

Abstract

Integrating geophysical survey with the study of community settlement patterns can be challenging because of cultural and environmental factors including (1) site formation and house preservation, (2) the coordination of domestic tasks at extra-household scales, and (3) the survey environment of the study area. In this article, we present the results of a program of geophysical survey comprising magnetic susceptibility and magnetometry at Weeden Island (8Pi1)—a shell-bearing, wooded site with nearly pure sand soils on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Combining remote sensing techniques mitigated some of the challenges of surveying forested terrain while providing insight into community organization at a site with minimal preserved structural remains. Compared with previous traditional surveys of the area, the geophysical survey extended the recognized boundaries of occupational activity, provided additional definition to the spatial structure of deposits, and allowed us to identify specific domestic features. Excavations at each area of intensive occupation provided evidence about the organization of the domestic economy at the site and showed the potential of this approach to reveal significant patterns of community settlement.

La integración de prospecciones geofísicas con la investigación de patrones de asentamientos comunitarios puede ser desafiante por causo de algunos factores culturales y ambientales incluyendo (1) los procesos de formación de sitios y la preservación de restos domésticos, (2) la coordinación de tareas domesticas en escalas supra-domésticas, y (3) el medio ambiente moderno de la región de la investigación. En este trabajo, presentamos los resultados de una programa de prospección geofísica consta de susceptibilidad magnética y magnetomatría en el sitio de Weeden Island (8Pi1), un sitio boscoso y con cantidades de concha en la costa del Golfo de Florida. La combinación de varias técnicas geofísicas mitiga algunas desafíos de la prospección en terrenos boscosos mientras proporciona comprensión de la organización comunitaria de algún sitio sin preservación de restos arquitectónicos. Comparando conLa integración de prospecciones geofísicas con la investigación de patrones de asentamientos comunitarios puede ser desafiante por causo de algunos factores culturales y ambientales incluyendo (1) los procesos de formación de sitios y la preservación de restos domésticos, (2) la coordinación de tareas domesticas en escalas supra-domésticas, y (3) el medio ambiente moderno de la región de la investigación. En este trabajo, presentamos los resultados de una programa de prospección geofísica consta de susceptibilidad magnética y magnetomatría en el sitio de Weeden Island (8Pi1), un sitio boscoso y con cantidades de concha en la costa del Golfo de Florida. La combinación de varias técnicas geofísicas mitiga algunas desafíos de la prospección en terrenos boscosos mientras proporciona comprensión de la organización comunitaria de algún sitio sin preservación de restos arquitectónicos. Comparando con prospecciones tradicionales anteriores del área, la prospección geofísica extendió los límites de las actividades domésticas, proporcionó más definición a los patrones espaciales de los depósitos, y nos permite a identificar rasgos domésticos específicos. Excavaciones en cada área de ocupación intensiva proporcionó evidencia sobre la organización de la economía doméstica en el sitio y mostró la potencial de este método para revelar patrones significativos de asentamientos comunitarios.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright 2019 © Society for American Archaeology

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