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Abstract
Archaeological sites known as shell rings are found along the southeastern coast of North America. Shell Rings are circular to arcuate-shaped deposits of shell, artifacts, and other faunal remains that occur along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of this region. The Sapelo Shell Ring complex (9MC23) located on the northwestern end of Sapelo Island, Georgia, was primarily occupied during the Late Archaic Period (approx. 4500-3000 BP), a time of large-scale environmental shifts on the coast. This site consists of three separate shell rings, as well as habitation areas outside the rings. Hunter-gatherer- fisher groups inhabited this site and other shell rings like it in the region for over a millennium. This study seeks to understand whether shifts in the broader social and natural environment of the southeastern coast are reflected in changes in ceramic technology at the Sapelo Shell Ring complex. Based on the analysis of ceramics at the site, this study found significant differences in the size class of vessels over time, which relates to shifts in group size as a result of large-scale environmental changes. This study contributes to our understanding of how technologies change due to social and environmental factors such as climate change and subsistence availability.