Trail Trees: Living Artifacts (Vivifacts) of Eastern North America

  • Nicholas C. Kawa Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.
  • Bradley Painter Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.
  • Cailín E. Murray Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.6.1.2015.410
Keywords: Culturally modified trees (CMTs), Trail trees, Living artifacts, Vivifacts

Abstract

Living trees historically modified by human populations, oftentimes referred to as “culturally modified trees” (CMTs), are found throughout the North American landscape. In eastern North America specifically, indigenous populations bent thousands of trees to mark trails, and some of these still exist in the region today. In this article, we present a synthesis of current knowledge on trail trees, including their speculated functions, formation, and selection. We also examine the theoretical implications of these living artifacts (or vivifacts) and how they may open new avenues for investigation by archaeologists, environmental historians, and ethnobiologists. To conclude, we make a call for expanded public recognition and documentation of trail trees, discussing the need for their incorporation into forest and park management plans.

Author Biographies

Nicholas C. Kawa, Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.

Nicholas C. Kawa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Ball State University. His research centers on human relationships to plants and soils in both Brazilian Amazonia and the American Midwest.

Bradley Painter, Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.

Bradley Painter completed his M.S. in anthropology with an archaeological focus at Ball State University in 2015. His primary research interest is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for archaeological prospection.

Cailín E. Murray, Department of Anthropology, Ball State University, Burkhardt Building 315, Muncie, IN 47306.

Cailín E. Murray is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Ball State University. She specializes in environmental ethnohistory, Native American Studies, landscape studies, and the impact of settler colonialism on indigenous belief systems about place. She has also done work on the historic impact of hydroelectric development on marine resources in the Pacific Northwest.

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Ethnobiology Letters Cover, Volume 6, Issue 1, 2015
Published
2015-09-17
How to Cite
Kawa, N. C., Painter, B., & Murray, C. E. (2015). Trail Trees: Living Artifacts (Vivifacts) of Eastern North America. Ethnobiology Letters, 6(1), 183-188. https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.6.1.2015.410
Issue
Vol 6 No 1 (2015)
Section
Perspectives

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