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An Archaic Cemetery at Port Au Choix, Newfoundland

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017

James A. Tuck*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Memorial, University of Newfoundland

Abstract

An Archaic Indian cemetery at Port au Choix, Newfoundland, dating from about 2000-1700 yrs B.C. is described. For the first time, excellent bone preservation allows a relatively complete reconstruction of the culture of the Archaic inhabitants of Newfoundland. Comparing the assemblage from Port au Choix with other Archaic assemblages from Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, especially the Moorehead or Maine Cemetery complex sites leads to the description of a "new" whole cultural tradition, the Maritime Archaic tradition, which existed throughout the Atlantic provinces and northern New England during the second millennium B.C. This tradition was based upon the distinctive resources found in that area- caribou, sea mammals, sea birds, and fish-and is very different from the Laurentian and Shield Archaic traditions as regards adaptation to a coastal environment and all the cultural variations concomitant with such an ecological adjustment.

Information

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1971

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