AFFINITY OF TWO SOUTH FLORIDA POPULATIONS THROUGH NONMETRIC DENTAL ANALYSIS

This research examines the relationship of two archeological populations in Southeastern Florida from the Middle Woodland Period. The two sites chosen include the Belle Glade site in the Belle Glade Cultural Area and the Highland Beach Mound site in the East Okeechobee Cultural Area. The determination of relationships was done through an analysis of nonmetric dental traits. A series of traits were recorded in an ordinal scale and later dichotomized into present or absent, in order to conduct a biological distance analysis. The statistical method chosen for this analysis was the Smith’s Mean Measure of Divergence. Results indicate that both populations have a minimal degree of divergence. These results corroborate the evidence gathered from past archeological investigations.