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Mass Harvesting, Ichthyofaunal Assemblages, and Ancestral Paiute Fishing in the North American Great Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2020

B. Sunday Eiselt Open the ORCID record for B. Sunday Eiselt [Opens in a new window]
B. Sunday Eiselt*
Affiliation:
Southern Methodist University, Department of Anthropology, 3225 Daniel Ave., Heroy Hall, Dallas, TX75225, USA
*
(seiselt@smu.edu, corresponding author)
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Abstract

Documenting variability in the archaeological record is critical to our understanding human fishing adaptations in the North American Great Basin over time. Unfortunately, in the absence of robust middle range techniques for interpreting fishbone assemblages, many studies have been limited in their capacity to engage in theoretical discussions of the role of fishing in forager subsistence regimes. The Northern Paiute in Oregon and Nevada exploited seasonally aggregated tui chub (Siphateles bicolor) through mass-harvesting techniques using nets and baskets. This article integrates experimental studies with ethnographic and archaeological data to infer the types of fishing gear that were used from the reconstructed sizes of tui chub remains. The mean size of fish assemblages is compared to the coefficient of variation to identify fishing techniques based on the size parameters of gear types, and a technology investment model is used to assess regional variations in commitments to fishing in open lake and marshland settings. Results are compared to tui chub assemblages from two protohistoric archaeological sites in eastern Oregon, revealing two distinctive fishing strategies with general implications for the organization of labor by hunter-gatherer fisherfolk.

Documentar la variabilidad en el registro arqueológico es fundamental para comprender las adaptaciones de la pesca humana en la Gran Cuenca de América del Norte a lo largo del tiempo. Desafortunadamente, en ausencia de técnicas robustas de rango medio para interpretar los conjuntos de espinas de pescado, muchos estudios han tenido una capacidad limitada para participar en debates teóricos sobre el papel de la pesca en los regímenes de subsistencia de los buscadores. El norte de Paiute, en Oregón y Nevada, explotó el sui chub estacionalmente agregado (Siphateles bicolor) mediante técnicas de recolección en masa utilizando redes y cestas. Este artículo integra estudios experimentales con datos etnográficos y arqueológicos para inferir los tipos de artes de pesca que se utilizaron a partir de los tamaños reconstruidos de restos de tui chub. El tamaño medio de los conjuntos de peces se compara con el Coeficiente de variación para identificar técnicas de pesca basadas en los parámetros de tamaño de los tipos de artes, y se utiliza un modelo de inversión tecnológica para evaluar las variaciones regionales en los compromisos de pesca en lagos de mar abierto y marismas. Los resultados se comparan con los conjuntos de tui chub de dos sitios arqueológicos protohistóricos en el este de Oregón que revelan dos estrategias de pesca distintivas con implicaciones generales para la organización del trabajo por parte de los pescadores cazadores-recolectores.

Keywords

Great Basin Archaeologyichthyofaunal assemblagesPaiute IndiansSiphateles bicolorgear selectivity modelsArqueología de la Gran Cuencaensambles de ictiofaunaIndios PaiuteSiphateles bicolormodelos de selectividad de engranajes
Type
Articles
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 85 , Issue 4 , October 2020 , pp. 715 - 736
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 by the Society for American Archaeology

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