Domestic dining at French Colonial sites in the American Bottom: evidence from the Trotier (11S861) and Jarrot Nordique (11S1741) Sites in French Cahokia

ISAS (formerly ITARP) archaeologists recently conducted archaeological investigations at two late-eighteenth-century/early-nineteenth-century domestic sites in French Cahokia, Trotier (11S861) and Jarrot Nordique (11S1741). Relatively large amounts of faunal material were recovered, providing insight on dietary practices at French colonial civilian or domestic sites in the Illinois Country. Such data are uncommon as most zooarchaeological material from the region is typically associated with military installations or administrative centers. Civilian or domestic villages and farmsteads, in contrast, are decidedly underrepresented. This article summarizes the faunal assemblages from the two sites and examines the data in comparison with dietary information from other French colonial sites in the region.