An experimental ethnoarchaeological approach to understanding the development of use wear associated with the processing of river cane for split-cane technology

ABSTRACT

Southeastern Indians have been using cane (Arundinaria spp.) for basketry and matting for thousands of years. Unfortunately, it is only under extraordinary preservation conditions that such items survive archaeologically. Inferring the production of split-cane technology requires an understanding of prehistoric manufacturing and processing techniques. It is hypothesized that stone tools were once used to process cane for use in split-cane technologies. In the Southeast, it is not uncommon to find stone tools with traces of plant use; however attributing wear to specific plants has been problematic. Pilot experiments, grounded on ethnoarchaeological observations, were conducted with river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) in collaboration with expert basket weavers in the Cherokee Nation. The experimental ethnoarchaeological program was designed to test the efficiency of stone tools in cane processing and document use wear through microscopic observations. The results found that non-retouched flakes were efficient for processing river cane and that the different stages of splint preparation resulted in the differential development of use-related wear. Additional experimentation with river cane is necessary to better define use wear and establish criteria for identification in archaeological contexts. Nonetheless, the collaborative and experimental approach undertaken demonstrated the utility of combining traditional archaeological methods with experimentation, ethnoarchaeology, and tribal knowledge.

KEYWORDS:

• Split-cane technology
• lithic use-wear analysis
• perishable material culture
• river cane
• ethnoarchaeology
• collaborative archaeology

Acknowledgments

This research was conducted with the permission of the Cherokee Nation Institutional Review Board. We would like to thank Sohail Kahn, co-chair of the Cherokee Nation IRB, Pat Gwin, and Candessa Tehee for their guidance throughout the IRB process and for their interest and acceptance of this project. We would also like to thank Dr Boyce Driskell, Kandace Hollenbach, and the staff at the Archaeological Research Laboratory for providing space and equipment to conduct the use-wear analyses. Megan King extends special thanks to Roger and Shawna Morton Cain: thank you first and foremost for your participation, enthusiasm, and excitement throughout the duration of this project, and thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for river cane, and providing your input on flake tool use. Without your help, knowledge, and expertise, this paper would never have been possible. Lastly, we would like to thank editor Mary Beth D. Trubitt and our three anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments on drafts of this paper.

Data availability statement

The experimental tools created for this study have been curated at the University of Tennessee’s Archaeological Research Laboratory. Data associated with the analyses can be provided by contacting the first author.

Disclosure statement

No conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Megan M. King received her PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests include split-cane technology, gender and divisions of labor, and lithic technology in the southeastern United States.

Roger Cain completed his Master’s degree at the University of Arkansas. He is the Principal Investigator for the Cherokee River Cane Initiative and a designated Cherokee National Treasure for his contribution to preserving Cherokee mask making.

Shawna Morton Cain is completing her PhD at the University of Arkansas. She is an accomplished basket weaver, anthropologist, and author of Cherokee National Treasures: In Their Own Words. She is also a designated Cherokee National Treasure for her contributions to preserving Cherokee basketry.

ORCID

Megan M. King http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7081-0445

Additional information

Funding

This project was completed with support from the Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville.