Beliefs and Rituals in Archaic Eastern North America: An Interpretive Guide

data that show that black soldiers at Fort Davis were often deprived of adequate food, housing, and social spaces, which made them appear less than human to the white soldiers they served with as well as the white officers who commanded them (p. 224). Forensic evidence suggests Talliafero was killed under suspicious circumstances (pp. 203– 208). Together, Wilkie’s painstaking analysis of the historical and archaeological records at Fort Davis suggests that it may be very easy to entertain the possibility that the circumstances surrounding Talliafero’s death were doctored to falsely justify his demise. However, each reader will need to determine the degree to which they are convinced for themselves.