Hunting, fishing, and foraging in times of conflict: the implications of choosing safety in the Mississippian Central Illinois River Valley

This study investigates the impact of intraregional conflict on food security and subsistence practices in the Central Illinois River Valley (CIRV) during the Mississippian period, particularly between AD 1200 and 1400, a time characterized by escalations in intergroup violence. Utilizing integrated faunal and botanical datasets from two critical archaeological sites–the Lamb site, representing the preconflict phase, and the C. W. Cooper site, indicative of the conflict onset phase–this research elucidates how prolonged warfare necessitated substantial adaptations in subsistence strategies among CIRV Mississippian communities. While much previous research has centered on elite aspects of Mississippian warfare, this study shifts the focus to the broader societal impacts on the daily lives of residents of the CIRV. Findings demonstrate significant shifts in foraging behaviors and resource utilization patterns, reflecting strategic responses to the challenges and hazards posed by persistent warfare. By highlighting the adaptability of these communities in the face of warfare and environmental stressors, this research contributes valuable perspectives to the anthropological understanding of the interrelations between warfare and food systems.