Taphonomy and Fish Bones from an Enslaved African American Context at Poplar Forest, Virginia, USA

Abstract

Faunal remains from a subfloor pit at Poplar Forest, Virginia, USA are identified. A fine-screen recovery program resulted in the retrieval of over 35,000 largely modified bones and teeth from less than one-third of a cubic meter of fill. Fish remains from this antebellum enslaved African American feature are analyzed with a focus on taphonomic influences. Fill deposits with pH above 7.0 facilitated excellent bone preservation and the observation of extensive gnawing of fish bone by commensal rats (Rattus sp.) and mice (Mus musculus) that would likely have escaped notice on less well preserved bones. Extensive gnawing on archaeologically recovered fish remains and modern experiments with wild brown rats indicate that a large portion of the fish fauna may have been consumed by rodents. Calculations of allometric relationships between bone dimensions and live fish size show that small, Number 3, Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and large, poor, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) served as provisions for the slaves while the enslaved African Americans themselves likely caught the small freshwater catfish and minnows from local streams.