Abstract
Models in demographic ecology predict that populations in agrarian villages experience cycles of growth and decline as tied to relationships between founding population sizes, birth and mortality rates, habitat constraints, landscape productivity, and socio-economic practices. Such predictions should be equally applicable to fisher-hunter-gatherers. Intensive research at the Bridger River site on the Canadian Plateau has provided significant new insight into the dynamics of population growth and decline, subsistence productivity, cooperation, and development of social inequalities in material goods. In this paper, we present new evidence drawing from the fine-grained stratigraphic record of Housepit 54 to assess details regarding change in subsistence and technology as related to population and social dynamics. Results indicate a long and complex history characterized by two complete demographic cycles. Critically, the two subsistence downturns were managed using different tactics. Reduced local resources during the first period was likely managed with shorter stays in winter residences, somewhat more extensive use of the landscape, and continuation of egalitarian social relations. The second economic downturn followed a short-lived boom in resources and population growth that created extremely competitive social conditions. The subsequent downturn was managed by entrenched winter sedentism and likely social control of access to critical resources.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 101181 |
| Journal | Journal of Anthropological Archaeology |
| Volume | 59 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2020 |
Funding
The Bridge River Archaeological Project is a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and Xwísten, the Bridge River Indian Band. Susan James, Bradley Jack, and Gerald Michel played significant roles in facilitating the Housepit 54 project. The 2012-2016 field seasons at Housepit 54 were supported by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (Grants RZ-51287-11 and RZ-230366-1 ). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities . The 2008 and 2009 field seasons at Bridge River that included initial excavations of Housepit 54 were funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Grant BCS-0713013 ). We thank the many volunteer and field school excavators of Housepit 54. We thank the Phillip Wright Zoological Museum at the University of Montana for access to comparative collections. Walsh’s participation was made possible thanks to the Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science section at the National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, and generous support from the Tales of Bronze Age Women project ( CF15-0878 ; PI Karin M. Frei). Prentiss thanks the University of Montana for sabbatical time and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge for providing a stimulating environment for thinking and writing during the 2017-2018 academic year. We thank Bruce Winterhalder for his insightful comments on the manuscript and for pointing out the work of Richard Levins. We thank Diane Hanson and one anonymous peer reviewer for their comments on the manuscript. Finally, we thank the editors of the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology for steering the manuscript through review and production. The Bridge River Archaeological Project is a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and Xw?sten, the Bridge River Indian Band. Susan James, Bradley Jack, and Gerald Michel played significant roles in facilitating the Housepit 54 project. The 2012-2016 field seasons at Housepit 54 were supported by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (Grants RZ-51287-11 and RZ-230366-1). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 2008 and 2009 field seasons at Bridge River that included initial excavations of Housepit 54 were funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Grant BCS-0713013). We thank the many volunteer and field school excavators of Housepit 54. We thank the Phillip Wright Zoological Museum at the University of Montana for access to comparative collections. Walsh's participation was made possible thanks to the Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science section at the National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen, and generous support from the Tales of Bronze Age Women project (CF15-0878; PI Karin M. Frei). Prentiss thanks the University of Montana for sabbatical time and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge for providing a stimulating environment for thinking and writing during the 2017-2018 academic year. We thank Bruce Winterhalder for his insightful comments on the manuscript and for pointing out the work of Richard Levins. We thank Diane Hanson and one anonymous peer reviewer for their comments on the manuscript. Finally, we thank the editors of the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology for steering the manuscript through review and production.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| National Museum of Denmark | CF15-0878 |
| BCS-0713013 | |
| National Endowment for the Humanities | RZ-51287-11, RZ-230366-1 |
Keywords
- Bridge River site
- Complex fisher-hunter-gatherers
- Indigenous history
- Lithic technology
- Malthusian demographic models
- Zooarchaeology