SOAPSTONE VESSEL CHRONOLOGY AND FUNCTION IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS OF EASTERN TENNESSEE: THE APPLE BARN SITE (40BT90) ASSEMBLAGE

Abstract

The function and chronology of soapstone vessels in the Eastern Woodlands has been a contentious issue that deserves discussion at a more regional and subregional scale. We provide an overview of the Apple Barn site (40BT90) soapstone vessel assemblage, one of the largest Late Archaic/ Early Woodland collections in the southern Appalachians. Results from residue analysis of pollen, starch, and phytoliths on four vessel fragments reveal the processing of various plants, correlating well with the macrobotanical results from the site. The AMS dates derived from seven sooted samples span ca. 1700 cal. B.C. to ca. 800 cal. B.C., suggesting mundane soapstone vessel use persists later in the southern Appalachians relative to other areas of the Southeast. When soapstone is no longer used at the Apple Barn site, post–750 cal. B.C., there is a significant shift in feature volume and organization, suggesting a change from seasonal group aggregations to semisedentary family tended garden plots. This shift denotes a significant change in foodways where the social and functional ties to soapstone were no longer relevant.