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The Role of Plants and Animals in the Termination of Three Buildings at the Spring Lake Tract Neighborhood, Cahokia
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 December 2022
Abstract
Plants and animals play a vital role in the human experience, from providing basic sustenance to creating unique social practices that may govern familial, political, or religious experiences; reconstitute identities; or forge social relationships. In this article, we present analyses on the ethnobotanical and zoological remains recently recovered from the Spring Lake Tract, Cahokia, a neighborhood populated from approximately AD 900 to 1275. The assemblage represents a variety of plants and animals that demonstrate the diverse utility of the biota from the region. We conclude that this assemblage indicates that this neighborhood community participated in an array of practices not easily dichotomized into “ritual” or “domestic.” From the perspectives of “Place-Thought” and locality, we emphasize the agency of these entities (plant/animal/human) in the process of creating and sustaining this Cahokian neighborhood.
Resumen
Las plantas y los animales son una parte vital en la experiencia humana, desde proporcionar el sustento básico hasta crear prácticas sociales únicas que pueden gobernar las experiencias familiares, políticas o religiosas, reconstituir identidades o forjar relaciones sociales. En este artículo presentamos los análisis sobre los restos etnobotánicos y zoológicos recuperados recientemente en el Spring Lake Tract, Cahokia, un barrio poblado desde ca. 900-1275 dC. El conjunto representa una variedad de plantas y animales que demuestran la utilidad diversa de la biota de la región. Concluimos que este ensamblaje indica que esta comunidad de vecinos participó en una variedad de prácticas que no se pueden dicotomizar fácilmente entre “rituales” o “domésticas”. Desde las perspectivas de “Lugar-Pensamiento” y localidad, enfatizamos la agencia de estas entidades (planta/animal/humano) en el proceso de creación y mantenimiento de este barrio de Cahokia.
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