ABSTRACT
The Paleoindians of eastern North America followed a more generalized ecological adaptation than their western counterparts, one not as easily disrupted by the disappearance of one or two key resources. As it turned out, this broad-spectrum lifestyle laid the foundation for the versatile plant collecting economies that characterized the eastern Woodlands during later periods. As their population increased, people of eastern North America became more efficient, intensifying their own food collecting strategies, increasing economic exchanges with others, and improving their ability to store food for the future. In this way, even as their food-producing economy escalated, they learned to protect themselves against year-to-year resource fluctuations.
