CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Bell, T.; and Renouf, P.
Date : 2000.
Title : Addressing the age discrepancy in Maritime Archaic Indian occupation of Southern Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland
Publication : 30th International Arctic Workshop, Program and Abstracts, 2000. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder
Issue :
Page(s) : 23-24.
Abstract
One of the outstanding questions in the prehistoric record of Newfoundland and Labrador is the apparent discrepancy in the timing between the first arrival of Maritime Archaic Indians (MAI) in southern Labrador about 9000 BP and their much later occupation of the Island of Newfoundland between 5000 and 5500 BP. In our paper we argue that the absence of earlier level history of most of the Island, except the Great Northern Peninsula, was one of sea levels lower than present. Considering that the MAI were a marine-adapted culture who located their living sites close to the active shoreline, it is possible that the oldest sites on the Island have been submerged by rising sea level. Second, on the Great Northern Peninsula - the only region of the Island that has experienced continuous postglacial emergence and therefore should preserve a complete record of coastal occupation - the archaeological record has been reconstructed from sites mostly uncovered during local development in coastal communities. We propose, however, that the 6000-9000 BP shorelines, which would most likely preserve evidence of earliest MAI occupation, lie in the undeveloped, heavily forested regions inland of these communities, where no systematic archaeological survey has taken place. In order to investigate the sea level factor we compiled data on documented archaeological sites from selected regions of the Island where Holocene sea level history was reasonably well constrained. In all cases, it appears that the magnitude of mid to late Holocene sea level rise was sufficient to submerge sites located within 5 m or so of their contemporary sea level between 5000 and 9000 BP. Therefore, it is likely that MAI sites of this age will only be found above present sea level on the Great Northern Peninsula. Once mapped, we plan to strategically test these shorelines using landscape variables which we believe influenced MAI site selection. These variables, which include resource and coastal accessibility, open water viewshed and shoreline configuration, were successfully employed by us to locate the MAI Gould site at Port au Choix on the west coast of the peninsula. The site was found where predicted under a thick peat cover in the woods on the edge of the community. It has provided the oldest date (5500 BP) so far recorded for MAI occupation on the Island.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology