Raw Material Procurement and the Reduction of Hunter-Gatherer Range in the Savannah River Valley

Abstract

The archaeological distribution of lithic raw materials is often indicative of the regional scale of hunter-gatherer settlement systems. In the Southeast, raw material utilization becomes increasingly localized during the Holocene, presumably indicative of a reduction in the geographical range of hunter-gatherer bands. Using data from the South Carolina Collectors Survey, it is possible to detect changes in raw material procurement in the Savannah River Valley. The spatial models derived from these data are used to evaluate the, argument for decreasing range. Aspects of the organization of lithic production and exchange are also evaluated as alternative explanations for observed changes in raw material procurement.