Prehistoric Seasonality Studies in Coastal Southern New England

Abstract

The results of seasonality studies undertaken with prehistoric faunal materials from the Greenwich Cove site in coastal Rhode Island are presented. Growth patterns in shells of the hard clam or quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria) are used to reconstruct the time(s) of year this species was collected. A controlled study of seasonal growth provides a comparative baseline for this analysis. Seasonality of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hunting is interpreted through the examination of growth structures in preserved teeth. The seasonal availability of migratory species is also considered. Relatively year‐round coastal settlement is proposed for the final centuries of the prehistoric period.