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Carbonized Zea mays
These carbonized maize kernels were found in at the Burnham-Shepard site which boasted some 1,500 total kernels in 16 features. The maize horticulture subsistence strategy in South Windsor produced this high-value food that not only was nutritious and easy to grow, but also capable of being stored over the winter months to ensure this site’s Late Woodland Indigenous population’s survival. One pit at this site contained hundreds of maize kernels and 50 Chenopodium album (lamb’s quarters) seeds, further suggesting corn’s position as a high-value crop.
Charred Butternut
Despite practicing maize horticulture, the archaeological record indicates Indigenous Peoples in South Windsor continued to forage for food throughout much of the year. They processed a variety of wild plants as well as nuts, such as butternuts and acorns, from the late summer into the early fall.
This carbonized butternut is from the Burnham-Shepard site. A member of the walnut family, the butternut is an oily nut that was used in a variety of ways by Indigenous People. Fresh nuts could be crushed and boiled to make a drink and also were mixed into a variety of dishes to enrich their protein content, including sauces, puddings and breads.
Carbonized Big Bluestem Grass
Unearthed at the Burnham-Shepard Site were 12 storage features. Of these 12, one was a Big Bluestem grass-lined maize storage pit. Interestingly, this same grass was used by the Eastern Plains tribes to line their maize storage pits, suggesting not only foodstuffs but also specialized storage techniques were introduced here from the west.
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