Trail trees: Living artfacts (Vivifacts) of eastern North America

Abstract

Living trees historically modified by human populatons, oftentmes referred to as "culturally modified trees" (CMTs), are found throughout the North American landscape. In eastern North America specifically, indigenous populatons bent thousands of trees to mark trails, and some of these stll exist in the region today. In this artcle, we present a synthesis of current knowledge on trail trees, including their speculated functons, formaton, and selecton. We also examine the theoretcal implicatons of these living artfacts (or vivifacts) and how they may open new avenues for investgaton by archaeologists, environmental historians, and ethnobiologists. To conclude, we make a call for expanded public recogniton and documentaton of trail trees, discussing the need for their incorporaton into forest and park management plans.