Documenting 6,000 Years of Indigenous Fisheries and Settlement as Seen through Vibracore Sampling on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada

Seonaid Duffield,Elroy White,Quentin Mackie,Iain Mckechnie,Jennifer Walkus,Duncan Mclaren

doi:10.1017/aaq.2021.113

Abstract

This article highlights the utility of vibracore technology to sample deep shell midden deposits on the Central Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of six core samples and 21 radiocarbon dates revealed that the archaeological deposits extended to a depth of 544 cm below surface and that occupation began approximately 6,000 years ago, continuing into the sixteenth century AD. Zooarchaeological identification of fine screened (2 mm) sediments shows that fish constitute 99.8% of identified vertebrate fauna, with a focus on herring (Clupea pallasii), salmon (Oncorhynchussp.), rockfish (Sebastessp.), and greenling (Hexagrammossp.), followed by a variety of other fish taxa utilized throughout the occupation of this site. Despite a much smaller examined volume relative to conventional excavation, vibracoring was effective in recovering deep, stratigraphically intact, and adequate samples of zooarchaeological fisheries data as well as a considerable number of stone, bone, and shell artifacts (an estimated 550 artifacts per cubic meter of cultural sediments). These results show a persistent and sustainable ancient fishery through six millennia until the contact period. The field and laboratory methods described are especially conducive to sampling large and deep shell midden deposits repetitively.

Highlights

This article highlights the utility of vibracore technology to sample deep shell midden deposits on the Central Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada
Archaeologists on the Northwest Coast are perpetually confronted with the challenge of adequately sampling large shell midden sites because these deposits can be expansive and deep, and they can contain an overwhelming abundance of faunal remains
This article reports on the use of a vibracore to obtain multiple chronologically overlapping samples from a single large and deep shell midden site (EjTa-13) to investigate Indigenous settlement and fisheries management on the Central Coast of British Columbia

Summary

Introduction

This article highlights the utility of vibracore technology to sample deep shell midden deposits on the Central Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Despite a much smaller examined volume relative to conventional excavation, vibracoring was effective in recovering deep, stratigraphically intact, and adequate samples of zooarchaeological fisheries data as well as a considerable number of stone, bone, and shell artifacts (an estimated 550 artifacts per cubic meter of cultural sediments). These results show a persistent and sustainable ancient fishery through six millennia until the contact period. This article reports on the use of a vibracore to obtain multiple chronologically overlapping samples from a single large and deep shell midden site (EjTa-13) to investigate Indigenous settlement and fisheries management on the Central Coast of British Columbia. Meay Channel (or Northern Kwakshua) and Kwakshua Channel separate Hecate and Calvert Islands

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion