USING SITE FORMATION THEORY TO ASSESS EARLY AND MIDDLE HOLOCENE AGED ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE NANTAHALA NATIONAL FOREST, NORTH CAROLINA

Following unauthorized ground disturbances at two Early and Middle Holocene sites within the Trail of Tears protective corridor in the Nantahala National Forest, NC, archaeological investigations undertaken have yielded data potentially important to the understanding of early inhabitants in the Appalachian Summit region. By using a battery of tests informed by site formation theory, we argue that each site (WO2 and WO5) likely represents a single occupational event. Although, each has been subjected to cultural and natural transforms, minimal disturbance is evident from the analysis of x/y clusters from shovel test data and interpretation of the dip and strike of individual artifacts. We argue that despite the damage to these sites, the spatial array of artifacts demonstrate interpretable behavioral patterns. We believe that similar, shallow open-air sites within the Appalachian Summit region should be considered for future research.