Hearth features are often central to hunter-gatherer campsite organization and activities and have long been a focus of study for archaeologists. Among these studies, few have undertaken analysis of calcined faunal remains contained within these features. This thesis investigates human subsistence and occupation at the Richardson Island site, Haida Gwaii, B.C., through examination of the hearth-derived fauna. This is one of very few faunal assemblages from the early Holocene on the northern Northwest Coast and dates to between 9300 and 9100 BP. Description of the taxa in the assemblages is followed by discussion of human technological adaptations for procurement. Hearth replications and a controlled burning experiment demonstrate the complex taphonomic trajectory of burnt fish bone assemblages. Cluster analysis showed weak hearth groupings based largely on taxonomic richness. Chi-squared tests showed that some Kinggi Complex artifact types vary in frequency when in close proximity to hearths. Overall, hearths and surrounding deposits show maritime capacities in the early Holocene.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1891 |
| Date | 24 November 2009 |
| Creators | Steffen, Martina Lianne |
| Contributors | Mackie, Quentin |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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