ABSTRACT
Archaeological evidence consists of artifacts, ecofacts, features, and other physical remains in archaeological context and also historical documents and other evidence of the past, such as oral history and tradition. Ecofacts represent evidence from the natural world in archaeological context, such as pollen, phytoliths, plant parts, animal bones, parasites, and sediments. The soil matrix surrounding artifacts and features is a source of evidence that provides information about the development of the site, including the effects of fires and floods. However, the interplay of evidence is productive and leads to questions worth asking. In the Chesapeake region of the Mid-Atlantic United States, archaeologists have been making a concerted effort over several decades to build a database of animal bones found in the archaeological record. In order to better understand the social roles of hunting in the rural African American community of Saragossa, Michael Tuma "apprenticed" himself to local African American hunters who were willing to teach him how to hunt.
