Most insect fossil studies from New World archaeological sites deal with faunas from natural environments in the vicinity of the archaeological site. A few American studies have archaeological connections, however. Elias studied insect fossils from refuse pits at the Cahokia Mounds site in Illinois, and was able to document the seasonality of human use of the site.
Coprolite Studies
The study of ancient human feces, preserved in dry caves as coprolites, has yielded some interesting information on insects and their interactions with Amerindians (see Coprolite Analysis). Some arthropods were consumed as food. These include cicadas and grasshoppers that were eaten by the Anasazi at Mesa Verde, Colorado, and ants and termites that were apparently eaten by Paleoindians at the Dirty Shame Rockshelter in Oregon. Other insects, such as fleas, lice, and mites, were external parasites that were either accidentally or deliberately consumed.
The remains of fly maggots and their pupal exuviae (the skin cast from the larva as it pupated) have been used in some New World sites to help determine mode and timing of burial. A study of fly remains from a Late Prehistoric Arikara Indian burial site at Leavenworth, South Dakota, placed the time of burial between late March and mid-October (the flies’ active season in South Dakota).
Insects from Non-Anthropogenic Deposits at Archaeological Sites
Insect fossils from non-anthropogenic environments (i. e., undisturbed, natural habitats) provide data useful in building an environmental framework in which to place archaeological interpretations of a site. The insect faunas provide inferences on climate, soil, and regional vegetation. For instance, Elias in 1990 examined insect fossils from a Clovis archaeological site at False Cougar Cave, Montana. The insects were recovered from cave-floor sediments which also contained Paleoindian artifacts. Based on the insects, the regional climate environment was very similar to modern conditions by 10 500 year BP. A Clovis-age insect assemblage from the Lubbock Lake site in west Texas reflected climatic conditions that were cooler and wetter than the modern day.
World History
