Changes in Animal Use through Time at Fusihatchee (1EE191)

Archaeological sites appropriate for the study of subsistence change resulting from European-Native American contact are uncommon in the southeastern United States. One of these sites is Fusihatchee (1EE191), a Creek town in what is now Alabama. Materials from Fusihatchee were deposited during four time periods spanning the Contact Period, permitting a diachronic analysis of Creek subsistence practices. Vertebrate and some invertebrate remains were studied. The Late Mississippian component consists of 494 identifiable specimens and an estimated 19 individuals. The Protohistoric assemblage, excavated from five structures and one feature, is the largest sample reported here, totaling 11,166 specimens and an estimated 126 individuals. The Historic period sample consists of 3,746 specimens and an estimated 83 individuals. The Late Historic collection includes 536 specimens and an estimated 14 individuals. In all of these time periods, terrestrial resources appear to have been favored over aquatic resources by the Creek. Evidence of the Creek-European deerskin trade is apparent in the Historic assemblage and evidence from the Protohistoric component suggests intra-site distribution of carcass portions. The data further support earlier interpretations of Creek cultural conservatism with the introduction of EuroAfiican and EuroAsian domestic animals.