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CA w 40 0MR ApPMVQP No, 1074-9018 NP8 Form 104X 4i1 (8.88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _L Page —L— South Hole Midden SUMMARY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SIGNTFICANCI Extensive research was conducted on a tract of land adjacent to the South Hole Midden site known as the Kennedy Tract, and arguments regarding its significance and ability to the address research questions outlined in Section F.1 of the Multiple Property Listing cover map directly onto the midden site (Eck et al. 1998:22). Because the tract was formerly partially estuarine -related in character, its location at the narrow end of Orchid Island and proximity to the resources of both the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean would have provided excellent food procurement potential for prehistoric people. As Dickel (1992:65) notes, the margins of the barrier island adjacent to the. Indian River are "well-documented as an important focus of the prehistoric and protohistoric Ais economy, occupation, and population density." The mangrove ecosystem which flourished along; the Indian River shore provided the requisite environment to support a vast number of interdependent plant and animal species (Marsh and Bane 1995), which would then be used in turn used by the Indians and later settlers. Additionally, the property would have also provided the drier upland area favored for habitation that many low areas adjacent to the estuary would not (Eck ct al. 1998:22). Because of the property's position on higher ground between both the Indian River estuary and the ocean, it would have been a suitable habitation and food procurement and processing site. The estuary would have provided a number of foods such as oyster, quahog, ribbed mussel (Geukensia detnissa), pear whelk (Busycon spiratirm), crown conch (Melongena carona), pink shrimp (Penaeus dunrarttn+), stone crab (Menippe mercenaria), blue crab (Cafdinectes sapidus), manatee (7richecus manatrrs), and numerous fish, waterfowl, and reptiles (Eck et al. 1998:23). The coastal hammock would have been a source of gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphenuus), snakes, frogs, wild turkey (1LMeleagrw gallopavo), quail (Colinus virginianmv), deer (0 docoileuv virginiaituv), and other numerous small animals and plants. The coastal strand and near shore area would have made accessible foods such as coquina, Atlantic surf clam (Spisula salidissirna sindlis), fighting conch (Strombres alatuv), hawk -wing conch (Strombus rainus), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops iruncatus), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), acrd nuiuGrous fish. However, the strand and primary dune were rarely occupied except for spcciali=_ed food processing areas because of their exposure. Dickel notes that it is the area of the secondary dunes to the estuary edge, such as where the Kenned tract is located, that village, llabitatioi% and specialized activity sites predominate (Dickel 1992:65.66). This is due to the inhospitable coverage afforded from enemies, wind and water along the exposed primary dune and strand and partly because of the shifting and unstable nature of the dunes themselves (Eck et al. 1998:23).