| Botanical remains from the Engelbert site, a multicomponent site in south-central New York, were synchronically and diachronically compared to reveal differential plant distributions that could be used to explore the roles plants played in past mortuary practices. Botanical data combined with regional archaeological and ethnographic information indicate that plants had differing roles in Late Woodland and Susquehannock mortuary practices. While comparisons indicate that plants were not regularly interred in Late Woodland burials, the data and supporting documents suggest that some plant assemblages recovered from Susquehannock burials represent food offerings for the deceased. This change was probably part of a multifaceted regional shift in mortuary practice that was occurring towards the end of the Late Woodland period. Discussion of the interdependency of mortuary practices, plant use, and regional change encourages representation of the Engelbert site inhabitants as people living through constant and reciprocal relationships with tradition, society, and the living environment. |
