Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Anthropology

Major Professor

Nancy M. White, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Rochelle Marrinan, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Davide Tanasi, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Diane Wallman, Ph.D.

Keywords

Marsh Clam, Oyster, Collections, Estuarine, Faunal, Curation Crisis

Abstract

This research presents quantitative and qualitative data on subsistence and cultural transitions in a warm-temperate area of northwest Florida during the Late Archaic-Early Woodland transition (from about 3500 – AD 300). By completing an inventory of the faunal assemblages from two shell middens, I was able to evaluate resource selection and use both within and between sites. Results suggest that site inhabitants utilized consistent resources, despite any documented or potential climatic and ecological change which occurred. Radiocarbon dating establishes the timelines for both Sam’s Creek Cutoff (8FR754), a single-component Late Archaic campsite, and Depot Creek (8GU56), which has a Late Archaic component beneath an extensive Early Woodland occupation. Both sites are gradually accumulated middens and not intentionally constructed mounds. They are located on tributaries on opposite sides of the Apalachicola River delta, where the landscape has been transformed over millennia by the continued eastward migration of the delta since the Pleistocene.

In addition to cultural and subsistence analysis, this dissertation advocates for the reuse of existing archaeological collections for continued research. I critically address the long-standing “curation crisis” in the context of rising sea levels, modern climate change, and impending human displacement, which all threaten to force a return to salvage archaeology as coastal sites are inundated, populations move inland, and new infrastructure must be built to support them.

A critical component of this work was preparing two collections from USF to meet Florida Department of Historical Resources curation standards. I argue for increased rehabilitation of existing collections as a logistical necessity and moral imperative. Subsequently, this work emphasizes the ethics of data accessibility, dissemination, and reusability. Ultimately, this research contributes to an ever-growing dataset of both cultural and subsistence data from the resource-rich Apalachicola River Valley.

Download

Share

COinS