This thesis investigates a particular cultural period (the Charles
Culture) existing from approximately 5500 to 3300 years ago on the Northwest
Coast. The Charles Culture consists of three local phases known as Esilao, St.
Mungo and Mayne. Three research questions are proposed in this study. The
first question deals with the St. Mungo phase and focuses on the degree of
cultural variability manifest within this particular sub-phase. Two sites
known to contain St. Mungo components (Glenrose Cannery and St. Mungo
Cannery) are compared to a third component originally proposed to be
representative of the Mayne phase. The hypothesis states that the degree of
variability between the three components will be minimal if all three are
representative of the St. Mungo phase. This hypothesis is tested using both
artifactual and non-artifactual data from the three sites and respective
components. Of the three research questions proposed, this one is answered
the most successfully. There is little variation present amongst the three
components in terms of both artifactual and non-artifactual data.
Unexpectedly, it was also demonstrated that while the Charles components from
Glenrose and St. Mungo are often discussed interchangeably, there are
differences in their artifact assemblages.
The second research questions follows from the first and ponders the
degree of variability present between the Charles and Locarno Beach
components at the Crescent Beach site. A comparison between these two
phases from the same site had not been previously possible. The hypothesis
states that if the two phases demonstrate continuity with each other, this is
evidence of a gradual insitu evolution of the Northwest Coast ethnographic
pattern present at contact. This question is not answered as successfully as
the first due to the high degree of similarity present between the two artifact
assemblages. Several explanations for this are presented. The Locarno Beach
artifact assemblage from Crescent Beach is also compared to the typesite
artifact assemblage from the Locarno Beach site, with differences between the
two components presented and discussed. This was done i n order to
determine the feasibility of defining the middle component at Crescent Beach
as Locarno Beach in nature. The artifactual differences present are argued to
be partially reflective of site function and environmental differences present
at the two sites.
The final research question concerns the Charles Culture and the
feasibility of its existence over such a long time period and physical area.
This hypothesis states that there is sufficient cultural similarity present to
continue usage of the term Charles Culture. Several components defined as
Charles or tentative Charles components are examined. The data is gathered
together to present a synopsis of what is known to date concerning the
Charles Culture. As with the f i r s t research question, this question focuses on
the degree of variability present between the three sub-phases of the Charles
Culture (rather than just one) using both artifactual and non-artifactual data.
There is some difficulty encountered during this final analysis due to the lack
of published data. For example, little is published concerning the Esilao
phase, yet it is an integral part of the Charles Culture. Nevertheless, this
third research question is answered somewhat affirmatively. This section of
my thesis includes further information concerning the placing of the Charles
component at Crescent Beach into the St. Mungo phase as well as the status of
the Mayne phase.
The results of the study indicate that the three research questions and
their resulting hypotheses can be answered in the affirmative with varying
degrees of success.
Recommendations for further research include the need for better
published data concerning the early time periods on the Northwest Coast. It
is also recommended that future analysis of the Charles Culture incorporate
non-artifactual data such as debitage and faunal remains because these types
of information are important when doing accurate comparisons of artifact
assemblages. Finally, it is also suggested that Northwest Coast archaeologists
work together to create more comparable archaeological data. Before one can
make firm conclusions about the general research questions pertinent to the
prehistory of the Northwest Coast, Northwest Coast archaeologists must start
at the beginning and create interchangeable data sets.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/3039 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Pratt, Heather Lynn |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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