A Critical Test of the Central Plains Tradition Swidden Model Using Data from the Glenwood Locality

Abstract

The data that has been presented in support of a swidden model for the Central Plains tradition (CPt) are equivocal. If the current models of CPt subsistence and settlement are to be changed, either unequivocal evidence or pressures potentially driving that change must be identified. A GIS-based catchment analysis of the Glenwood locality indicates that even the most restrictive assumptions do not produce a scenario in which arable land is limited enough to create significant agricultural pressure. A comparison of the GIS data with excavated faunal assemblages from the same locality also indicates that use of wild food resources was approximately proportional to the available resource zones. The best explanations that have been offered for CPt settlement decisions focus on non-food woodland resources, and these still seem to be the most reasonable explanations.