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Document Type

Article

Abstract

This paper uses the archaeobotanical assemblage from Site 15Le70, a multi-excavated and extensively looted rockshelter in eastern Kentucky, while opening new lines of inquiry into gendered labor and practice during the Archaic-Woodland transition. Because legacy collections are often dispersed across institutions and/or research projects, the materials from any single site may be fragmented, as was the case for 15Le70. Such collections can be overlooked, yet this investigation into 15Le70’s archaeobotanical assemblage demonstrates that partial or scattered datasets can yield meaningful results and hold the potential to fill gaps in the archaeological record left by looting.

In this study, a small sample (n=10) of 15Le70 was analyzed using the plant category system by Williams (2000), modified to highlight taxa culturally documented as having been collected and used to treat gynecological conditions. If women during the Archaic-Woodland transition were using rockshelters as women’s birthing and/or menstrual retreats, as suggested by current interpretations of ash-caves and nutprocessing sites, simultaneously with the development of agriculture, it is reasonable to ask whether they were also cultivating plants for gynecological needs, highlighting women’s labor and possible ritual expertise in the development of agriculture. While the limited sample cannot provide definitive proof and the results for Site 15Le70 remain inconclusive, the assemblage is consistent with women-linked activities identified in broader comparative research. This case demonstrates that even scattered legacy archaeobotanical collections can support new lines of inquiry, including a look at gendered labor and practice, to deepen understanding of the occupational periods at archaeological sites.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.13023/des.2026.515

Publication Date

Spring 5-15-2026

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