2000-044 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

40 40 4W NPS Form iv -9W -a {886j United States Department of tltc Interior National Parr Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet AMB Appmvai ft W24-0015 a Section number E Page _L_ Indian River Narrows Cultural Resource District The appearance of plain, hand -molded fiber -tempered ceramics in Florida about four thousand years ago (the "Orange Period") marks a notable technological innovation for the Late Archaic cultures. Ceramics allowed people to prepare, cook, and store foods in ways previously unavailable before. Although many of the other artifacts associated with this period do not differ markedly from the Middle Archaic, the introduction of ceramics likely had a profound effect on social organization over time. Pottery vessels, since they are both bulky and heavy, are interpreted as an indication of sedentary or semi -sedentary lifestyles. The sturdiness and less permeable nature of ceramic vessels helped the Late Archaic people preserve and maintain their food stores for longer periods of time, freeing up more time for them from food procurement and preparation to engage in other activities. The Orange Period --in its various stages --nuns from approximately 4000 B.P.-2500 B.P. About 3650 B.P., Orange Period pottery begins to exhibit simple decoration, mid by 3250 B.P. pottery is being made with quartz sand temper and by hand -coiling (Milanich 1994:94). St. JohnsllVlalabar/Glades Period (500 B.C. - 1500 A.D. 1500) By about 2500 B.P. (500 B.C,) the different populations of Florida had grown and diversified to the point that regional differences are noticed. Along the Indian River lagoon and on Orchid Island proper, live oak coastal hammocks had formed which would have provided people with oak acorns, sabal palm berries, wild blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), wild grapes (Viiis spp.), and other food plants, along with a large assortment of hammock - inhabiting animals, and plants and animals from the nearby water resources (Milanich 1994-116-117). The Indian River area is often described as a transitional region between the St. Johns River region to the north and west of the Indian River lagoon, and the Glades region to the south. The distinction between The Indian River and St. Johns and Glades regions is based largely upon differences in ceramic assemblages and served as the basis for naming this cultural region '"Malabar" (Rouse 1981:70). Malabar sites contain pottery types made from local clay sources that exhibit producticn and decorative attributes of both St, johns and Glades ceramics (Milanich 1994:250). Distinctions based on studies of subsistence retuse in the Indian River area have been sorely lacking and only gross generalizations are able to be made without more intensive study (Russo 1985:4-5). What is known is that the native populations of Orchid Island and the Indian River region heavily exploited estuarine fish, many of which may serve as seasonal indicators of site occupation due to their breeding and migratory patterns (Russo 1985:5). Along the Atlantic coast, the mixed remains of stews containistg various 5111tt1i estuarine boney fish have been found combined with coquina and shark's eye (Polinices a 1ujVir,caftry), providing evidence that fisl3ing ant. shcllfisliiitg were imporiam activities throughout the year, and indicating what sp,-cies were available at that time (Russo and Ste. Claire 1992). Thus, permanent settlement activity existed along the coast throughout the year, and populations did not always have to shift living areas in the pursuit of food.