80 Paul W. Parmalee, Walter E. Klippel, Arthur E. Bogan 



1829) were found still inhabiting the middle and upper Chickamauga 

 Reservoir (Pardue 1981). In addition, we collected specimens of three 

 other species (Anodonta suborbiculata Say 1831, Anodonta imbecillis 

 Say 1829, Leptodea laevissima Lea 1830) in the shallow mud-bottom 

 bays at the mouth of the Hiwassee River. These results reflect the extir- 

 pation of approximately half of the naiad fauna known to have inhab- 

 ited this part of the Tennessee River in prehistoric times (as evidenced 

 from species represented in aboriginal shell middens) and in the early 

 20th century prior to impoundment (Ortmann 1918). Isom (1969) 

 expressed the view that sedimentation, one of the consequences of 

 impoundment resulting from a slowed current that prevents the sub- 

 strate from being swept clean, and overharvesting by commercial shellers, 

 are the two major factors in limiting mussel population growth and 

 expansion in Tennessee River reservoirs. 



Although populations of several species that are typical inhabitants 

 of shallow mud-bottom bays and shorelines of the reservoir (e.g. Ano- 

 donta spp., Leptodea sp., Potamilus spp.) may become locally large, 

 communities in the main river channel are composed primarily of Ellip- 

 tio crassidens (Lamarck 1819), Pleurobema cordatum, Quadrula pustu- 

 losa (Lea 1831), and Ellipsaria lineolata (Raf. 1820). Several species still 

 present in the reservoir are rare and their populations appear to consist 

 of old nonbreeding adults: these are Plethobasus cooperianus (Lea 

 1834), Cyprogenia irrorata (Lea 1829), Obovaria olivaria (Raf. 1820), 

 and Dromus dromas (Lea 1834). Until additional extensive sampling is 

 carried out, the status of several other species, including Lampsilis 

 orbiculata (Hildreth 1828), Plethobasus cyphyus (Raf. 1820), and Acti- 

 nonaias ligamentina (Lamarck 1819), remains uncertain. 



Prehistoric Mussel Assemblages Based on Midden Samples 



Table 1 shows the mussel species represented by 27,875 valves col- 

 lected from one Middle Woodland, eight Late Woodland, two Missis- 

 sippian, one Middle/ Late Woodland, and two Late Woodland/ Missis- 

 sippian sites along the middle and upper Chickamauga Reservoir, Meigs 

 (MG) and Rhea (RH) counties, Tennessee. Although Archaic (8000- 

 1000 BC) and Early Woodland (1000 BC-AD1) shell middens occur in 

 considerable numbers and are often of great magnitude in the middle 

 (Alabama) and lower (West Tennessee) reaches of the Tennessee, none 

 have been located in the section of the river between Knoxville and 

 Chattanooga. Shell middens left by peoples of the Early Woodland cul- 

 ture appear to be rare in the upper Tennessee River; we were unable to 

 locate any Early Woodland sites, and found only one single component 

 Middle Woodland site (40MG51) during our survey. For whatever rea- 

 sons), therefore, it appears that aboriginal man did not begin to harvest 

 freshwater mussels as a food resource in any quantity in the upper Ten- 



