Against death, the Tupinamba adopted the best defense: attack. Making a virtue of necessity and a... more Against death, the Tupinamba adopted the best defense: attack. Making a virtue of necessity and a necessity of virtue, they transformed the natural given of death into a social necessity and a personal virtue: warfare vengeance was a method of instituting society. Indeed, ...
The Far Northeast, a peninsula incorporating the six New England states, New York east of the Hud... more The Far Northeast, a peninsula incorporating the six New England states, New York east of the Hudson, Quebec south of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Maritime Provinces, provided the setting for a distinct chapter in the peopling of North America. Late Pleistocene Archaeology and Ecology in the Far Northeast focuses on the Clovis pioneers and their eastward migration into this region, inhospitable before 13,500 years ago, especially in its northern latitudes. Bringing together the last decade or so of research on the Paleoindian presence in the area, Claude Chapdelaine and the contributors to this volume discuss, among other topics, the style variations in the fluted points left behind by these migrating peoples, a broader disparity than previously thought. This book offers not only an opportunity to review new data and interpretations in most areas of the Far Northeast, including a first glimpse at the Cliche-Rancourt Site, the only known fluted point site in Quebec, but also permits these new findings to shape revised interpretations of old sites. The accumulation of research findings in the Far Northeast has been steady, and this timely book presents some of the most interesting results, offering fresh perspectives on the prehistory of this important region.
Shifting baselines can skew species harvest guidelines and lead to potentially inaccurate assessm... more Shifting baselines can skew species harvest guidelines and lead to potentially inaccurate assessments of population status and range. The North American Fur Trade (~1600–1900 CE) profoundly impacted the continent’s socio-ecological systems, but its legacies are often not incorporated in management discussions. We apply a conservation paleobiology lens to address shifting baselines of nine species of fur-bearing mammals in Vermont, including seven mesocarnivores and two semi-aquatic rodents. Using a database maintained by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, we identified 25 existing radiocarbon dates of fur-bearer associated features from 16 archaeological localities spanning the Early-Late Holocene. We also generated 7 new radiocarbon dates on beaver and muskrat bones from the Ewing (VT-CH-005), Bohannon (VT-GI-026), and Chimney Point (VT-AD-329) localities. Our new radiocarbon dates cluster within the Late Holocene, immediately prior to and throughout the European contact period, and overlap with The Beaver Wars. We recover a ~8,000 year record of beaver harvest, affirming the millennial scale importance of beavers, a species that is often the focus of human-wildlife conflict research. Comparison of zooarchaeological occurrences with digitized natural history specimens and community science observations reveals geographic range continuity for most species except for the American marten, which was historically extirpated, and confirms the native status of the red fox. While taphonomic constraints make our dataset a conservative assessment, our case studies demonstrate how wildlife managers can employ zooarchaeological data to better understand long-term properties of coupled socio-ecological systems and highlight the cultural importance of these species to Indigenous trade networks prior to the Fur Trade in Vermont.
Trants is one of the earliest Ceramic period sites known anywhere in the Caribbean. Attribute ana... more Trants is one of the earliest Ceramic period sites known anywhere in the Caribbean. Attribute analysis of lithic materials from the Trants site (MS-Gl) has determined the reduction processes associated with early Ceramic, or "Saladoid," period flaked stone and stone bead industries. Both industries feature the systematic, on-site reduction of exotic lithic materials. The flaked stone industry is characterized by the expedient production of flakes for utilitarian purposes, with little investment in tools having fixed morphologies. In contrast, the production of stone bead ornaments is characterized by a more complicated and labor-intensive process. This article describes the reduction sequences and compares the general attributes of the Trants assemblages to lithic industries known elsewhere in the region.
Archaeological testing at the Trants site (MS-G1 ), located on the windward coast of Montserrat, ... more Archaeological testing at the Trants site (MS-G1 ), located on the windward coast of Montserrat, was undertaken in 1979 and 1990. A combination of systematic surface collection and test pit/unit excavation at the approximately 0.6 square kilometer site has produced a substantial sample of lithic artifacts. Eight radiocarbon dates from stratified deposits at Trants have documented that the site was minimally occupied ca. 480 B.C.-A.D. 320 during the Saladoid period. The lithic sample clearly represents the reduction sequence of chert cobbles, presumably from nearby sources within the northern Lesser Antilles, for flake production; and the reduction sequence of exotic raw materials, presumably from South America, for bead manufacture. Detailed attribute analysis of the lithic artifacts from the highly significant Trants site contributes to a better understanding of prehistoric technology and social interaction during the Saladoid period in the Lesser Antilles. INTRODUCTION The Trants ...
This paper discusses the Arbor Gardens site (VT-CH885) located in Colchester, Vermont, identified... more This paper discusses the Arbor Gardens site (VT-CH885) located in Colchester, Vermont, identified by the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program (UVM CAP) in October, 2001. Though the site did not produce radiocarbon dates or unequivocally diagnostic artifacts, various other lines of evidence suggest that it likely was occupied during the Late Paleoindian or Early Archaic Period ca. 8000-5500 B.C. The recovery of exotic raw materials including highly weathered examples of Mt. Jasper rhyolite (New Hampshire), Mt. Kineo rhyolite (Maine), and Onondaga chert (New York), the form and type of lithic tools recovered, the high proportion of artifacts recovered from deep contexts within the non-depositional soil profile, and the site’s geographical location, all suggest that the Arbor Gardens site dates to the early Holocene epoch. Analysis of the tool assemblage also reveals striking similarities with other Paleoindian and/or Early Archaic sites elsewhere in Vermont and the bro...
ABSTRACT We review the dynamic late-Pleistocene environment and hydrology of the New England-Mari... more ABSTRACT We review the dynamic late-Pleistocene environment and hydrology of the New England-Maritimes region and the inception of the Champlain Sea. Thereafter, we briefly summarize previous investigations of site patterning data relative to the Champlain Sea and present several recent discoveries predicated upon the application of a revised model of the Champlain Sea shoreline at its maximum. After a broad overview of Early and Middle Paleoindian site patterning across the basin we briefly explore the implications of the Champlain Sea and the sites associated with it for understanding Paleoindian lifeways in northeastern North America.
Analysis and comparison of the lithic assemblages from five systematically excavated Paleoindian ... more Analysis and comparison of the lithic assemblages from five systematically excavated Paleoindian sites in Vermont has yielded a shared. potentially unrecognized scraper type. These notched oblique scrapers are described relative to their site contexts and to each other. This paper also endeavors to locate and assessthis scraper type in other Paleo indian lithic assemblages in the Northeast and beyond. Finally, a tentative explanation for the morphology, manufacture. use and/or reuse of this scraper type is postulated. Recent excavations conducted by the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program (UVM CAP) of one Late Paleoindian period site and another probable Paleoindian period site in the northern Champlaih Valley have contributed significantly to our understanding of early human presence in Vermont. Specifically, the Mazza site (VT-CH-9179), located in Colchester, is now recognized as the firJt systematically excavated Late Paleoindian site in Vermont. Similarly; the A...
Against death, the Tupinamba adopted the best defense: attack. Making a virtue of necessity and a... more Against death, the Tupinamba adopted the best defense: attack. Making a virtue of necessity and a necessity of virtue, they transformed the natural given of death into a social necessity and a personal virtue: warfare vengeance was a method of instituting society. Indeed, ...
The Far Northeast, a peninsula incorporating the six New England states, New York east of the Hud... more The Far Northeast, a peninsula incorporating the six New England states, New York east of the Hudson, Quebec south of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Maritime Provinces, provided the setting for a distinct chapter in the peopling of North America. Late Pleistocene Archaeology and Ecology in the Far Northeast focuses on the Clovis pioneers and their eastward migration into this region, inhospitable before 13,500 years ago, especially in its northern latitudes. Bringing together the last decade or so of research on the Paleoindian presence in the area, Claude Chapdelaine and the contributors to this volume discuss, among other topics, the style variations in the fluted points left behind by these migrating peoples, a broader disparity than previously thought. This book offers not only an opportunity to review new data and interpretations in most areas of the Far Northeast, including a first glimpse at the Cliche-Rancourt Site, the only known fluted point site in Quebec, but also permits these new findings to shape revised interpretations of old sites. The accumulation of research findings in the Far Northeast has been steady, and this timely book presents some of the most interesting results, offering fresh perspectives on the prehistory of this important region.
Shifting baselines can skew species harvest guidelines and lead to potentially inaccurate assessm... more Shifting baselines can skew species harvest guidelines and lead to potentially inaccurate assessments of population status and range. The North American Fur Trade (~1600–1900 CE) profoundly impacted the continent’s socio-ecological systems, but its legacies are often not incorporated in management discussions. We apply a conservation paleobiology lens to address shifting baselines of nine species of fur-bearing mammals in Vermont, including seven mesocarnivores and two semi-aquatic rodents. Using a database maintained by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, we identified 25 existing radiocarbon dates of fur-bearer associated features from 16 archaeological localities spanning the Early-Late Holocene. We also generated 7 new radiocarbon dates on beaver and muskrat bones from the Ewing (VT-CH-005), Bohannon (VT-GI-026), and Chimney Point (VT-AD-329) localities. Our new radiocarbon dates cluster within the Late Holocene, immediately prior to and throughout the European contact period, and overlap with The Beaver Wars. We recover a ~8,000 year record of beaver harvest, affirming the millennial scale importance of beavers, a species that is often the focus of human-wildlife conflict research. Comparison of zooarchaeological occurrences with digitized natural history specimens and community science observations reveals geographic range continuity for most species except for the American marten, which was historically extirpated, and confirms the native status of the red fox. While taphonomic constraints make our dataset a conservative assessment, our case studies demonstrate how wildlife managers can employ zooarchaeological data to better understand long-term properties of coupled socio-ecological systems and highlight the cultural importance of these species to Indigenous trade networks prior to the Fur Trade in Vermont.
Trants is one of the earliest Ceramic period sites known anywhere in the Caribbean. Attribute ana... more Trants is one of the earliest Ceramic period sites known anywhere in the Caribbean. Attribute analysis of lithic materials from the Trants site (MS-Gl) has determined the reduction processes associated with early Ceramic, or "Saladoid," period flaked stone and stone bead industries. Both industries feature the systematic, on-site reduction of exotic lithic materials. The flaked stone industry is characterized by the expedient production of flakes for utilitarian purposes, with little investment in tools having fixed morphologies. In contrast, the production of stone bead ornaments is characterized by a more complicated and labor-intensive process. This article describes the reduction sequences and compares the general attributes of the Trants assemblages to lithic industries known elsewhere in the region.
Archaeological testing at the Trants site (MS-G1 ), located on the windward coast of Montserrat, ... more Archaeological testing at the Trants site (MS-G1 ), located on the windward coast of Montserrat, was undertaken in 1979 and 1990. A combination of systematic surface collection and test pit/unit excavation at the approximately 0.6 square kilometer site has produced a substantial sample of lithic artifacts. Eight radiocarbon dates from stratified deposits at Trants have documented that the site was minimally occupied ca. 480 B.C.-A.D. 320 during the Saladoid period. The lithic sample clearly represents the reduction sequence of chert cobbles, presumably from nearby sources within the northern Lesser Antilles, for flake production; and the reduction sequence of exotic raw materials, presumably from South America, for bead manufacture. Detailed attribute analysis of the lithic artifacts from the highly significant Trants site contributes to a better understanding of prehistoric technology and social interaction during the Saladoid period in the Lesser Antilles. INTRODUCTION The Trants ...
This paper discusses the Arbor Gardens site (VT-CH885) located in Colchester, Vermont, identified... more This paper discusses the Arbor Gardens site (VT-CH885) located in Colchester, Vermont, identified by the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program (UVM CAP) in October, 2001. Though the site did not produce radiocarbon dates or unequivocally diagnostic artifacts, various other lines of evidence suggest that it likely was occupied during the Late Paleoindian or Early Archaic Period ca. 8000-5500 B.C. The recovery of exotic raw materials including highly weathered examples of Mt. Jasper rhyolite (New Hampshire), Mt. Kineo rhyolite (Maine), and Onondaga chert (New York), the form and type of lithic tools recovered, the high proportion of artifacts recovered from deep contexts within the non-depositional soil profile, and the site’s geographical location, all suggest that the Arbor Gardens site dates to the early Holocene epoch. Analysis of the tool assemblage also reveals striking similarities with other Paleoindian and/or Early Archaic sites elsewhere in Vermont and the bro...
ABSTRACT We review the dynamic late-Pleistocene environment and hydrology of the New England-Mari... more ABSTRACT We review the dynamic late-Pleistocene environment and hydrology of the New England-Maritimes region and the inception of the Champlain Sea. Thereafter, we briefly summarize previous investigations of site patterning data relative to the Champlain Sea and present several recent discoveries predicated upon the application of a revised model of the Champlain Sea shoreline at its maximum. After a broad overview of Early and Middle Paleoindian site patterning across the basin we briefly explore the implications of the Champlain Sea and the sites associated with it for understanding Paleoindian lifeways in northeastern North America.
Analysis and comparison of the lithic assemblages from five systematically excavated Paleoindian ... more Analysis and comparison of the lithic assemblages from five systematically excavated Paleoindian sites in Vermont has yielded a shared. potentially unrecognized scraper type. These notched oblique scrapers are described relative to their site contexts and to each other. This paper also endeavors to locate and assessthis scraper type in other Paleo indian lithic assemblages in the Northeast and beyond. Finally, a tentative explanation for the morphology, manufacture. use and/or reuse of this scraper type is postulated. Recent excavations conducted by the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program (UVM CAP) of one Late Paleoindian period site and another probable Paleoindian period site in the northern Champlaih Valley have contributed significantly to our understanding of early human presence in Vermont. Specifically, the Mazza site (VT-CH-9179), located in Colchester, is now recognized as the firJt systematically excavated Late Paleoindian site in Vermont. Similarly; the A...
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