An Exploration of Turtle Shell Rattle Manufacture in the Mississippian Period

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) remains are frequently recovered from archaeological sites across the Southeastern United States. Typically they are counted as food refuse; however, ethnographic and taphonomic data suggest box turtles may have functioned as rattles. Rattles were made using modern box turtle shells, and examined for manufacturing marks, use-wear, and breakage patterns. The information gained from the experimental studies was compared to archaeological turtle remains from two Mississippian Period sites. I determined that box turtle remains cannot always be classified as food refuse. Instead taphonomic history and contextual associations must be taken into account in functional interpretations.