Reconciling cultural technologies, chronologies, and the rising tide at Fishing Bay, Maryland

Abstract

The archaeological record of the Middle Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay spans some 13,000 years and provides insight into a variety of cultural and environmental issues in eastern North America. In this article, we present an analysis of a diverse assemblage of stone, ceramic, and bone artifacts recovered from a series of radiocarbon (14C) dated Middle and Late Woodland shell middens on Fishing Bay, Maryland. Our analysis documents the technologies Native Americans used at Chesapeake Bay shell middens, illustrates congruence between 14C dates on eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell and associated artifacts technologies, and highlights the challenges posed by marine transgression for documenting and interpreting prehistory. Our work demonstrates the ways in which artifact analysis and 14C dating can improve archaeological interpretation of the antiquity, diversity, and evolution of human occupation of coastal archaeological sites.