THE GAST FARM SITE (13LA12) FAUNAL REMAINS: EARLY-LATE WOODLAND SUBSISTENCE PATTERNS IN SOUTHEASTERN IOWA

This paper discusses preliminary faunal data from the early Late Woodland (Weaver Focus) component at the Gast Farm site. Organic preservation was good in general at the Gast Farm site but the Weaver locus contained the largest faunal sample. More than 35,000 Weaver faunal remains were recovered, primarily from pit features and sheet midden deposits. The Weaver locus also yielded several carnivore coprolite fragments, a rare ecofact in the Upper Mississippi River valley. The quantity and diversity of the faunal material is indicative of a sedentary occupation with intensive exploitation of local food resources, especially fish, deer, and aquatic species. Future comparison of subsistence data from the Havana component at Gast Farm will allow analysis to be done on changing subsistence patterns between Havana and Weaver occupations at Gast Farm.