This study analyzes white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) remains from five Fort Ancient archaeological sites along the Little and Great Miami Rivers of southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana to compare how the combination of varying ecologies alongside changing climate conditions impacted the hunting strategies of past people in this region. The focus is on the time period between about AD 1000-1650, during which significant climate change occurred. Through a framework of Human Behavioral Ecology (HBE), we find that Fort Ancient groups changed subsistence practices based on two external circumstances, climate and environment. Qualities such as lowland vs. upland environments, depression of resources, changes in corn production, and the transition to the Little Ice Age allow this study to model the decisions of Fort Ancient hunters through a framework of HBE. The results of this study contribute to a broader understanding of human subsistence change and resource depression during cultural and environmental transitions.No embargoAcademic Major: Anthropological Science
