2019 Research in the Capitol
Presentation Type
Open Access Poster Presentation
Keywords
Endemic plants--Iowa; Prehistoric peoples--Food--Iowa;
Abstract
Over the last 10,000 years, the Cedar Valley in northeastern Iowa has seen an influx of plants and people; both of which have impacted the native flora of the region. Prairie grasses, wetlands, and other natural features of the Iowa landscape have been altered to accommodate the use of the land by humans. Some of the clues to what attracted various cultures to this region are hidden within the native flora. Therefore, a comparative study of the Cedar Valley area was done to determine what plants were available to Prehistoric native people when they came to the Cedar Valley. After collecting data and compiling a database for comparative purposes, it was discovered that a high ratio of the trees and herbaceous plants used contained high levels of sugar. Future research will be conducted to determine what implications this may have had in terms of health issues and subsistence practices.
Start Date
1-4-2019 11:00 AM
End Date
1-4-2019 2:30 PM
Event Host
University Honors Programs, Iowa Regent Universities
Faculty Advisor
Donald Gaff
Department
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
Copyright
©2019 Lyn Tackett
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Tackett, Lyn, "Prehistoric Plant Resources in the Cedar Valley: How Prehistoric People Utilized Flora In Subsistence Practices" (2019). Research in the Capitol. 13.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/rcapitol/2019/all/13
Prehistoric Plant Resources in the Cedar Valley: How Prehistoric People Utilized Flora In Subsistence Practices
Over the last 10,000 years, the Cedar Valley in northeastern Iowa has seen an influx of plants and people; both of which have impacted the native flora of the region. Prairie grasses, wetlands, and other natural features of the Iowa landscape have been altered to accommodate the use of the land by humans. Some of the clues to what attracted various cultures to this region are hidden within the native flora. Therefore, a comparative study of the Cedar Valley area was done to determine what plants were available to Prehistoric native people when they came to the Cedar Valley. After collecting data and compiling a database for comparative purposes, it was discovered that a high ratio of the trees and herbaceous plants used contained high levels of sugar. Future research will be conducted to determine what implications this may have had in terms of health issues and subsistence practices.
