Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Anthropology

Major Professor

Nancy White, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert H. Tykot, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Diane Wallman, Ph.D.

Keywords

X-Ray Fluorescence, Precontact Archeology, Ceramics, Fort Walton, Early Woodland

Abstract

The Trestle Bridge Site (8JA186), located on an eroding riverbank of the upper Apalachicola River in northwest Florida, represents a significant multi-component precontact site with occupations that date from the Early Woodland (~800 B.C.–A.D. 300) and the Fort Walton periods (A.D. 1000-1500). Previous research has broadly classified the site based on ceramic and lithic assemblages, but a detailed investigation into pottery production and environmental changes over time at the site remains unexplored in the understudied Apalachicola valley region. There also appears to be over a thousand-year gap in occupation at the site, as no Middle or Late Woodland ceramic or lithic diagnostic artifacts are present. This multidisciplinary study utilizes pXRF (portable X-ray fluorescence) spectrometry, traditional ceramic analysis, and GIS (geographic information systems) methods to investigate variations in clay sources and temper selection for ceramics across the different cultural periods, and environmental changes and geographic modeling at the site over time. Specifically, this research examines whether chemical compositions of ceramics differ between temporal components and how raw material selection may have influenced the production of certain pottery types. Lithic assemblages associated with specific time periods will also be analyzed to investigate chronological variations at the site. This study further explores the implications of these technological choices for understanding precontact social organization, trade networks, mobility patterns, and environmental adaptations in the culturally rich research region of northwest Florida. By integrating data from various data sources, this research contributes to broader discussions on ceramic production, cultural transitions, and regional interaction in the Apalachicola Valley as well as the precontact Southeast.

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