Forskningsemne
Arctic, method

Romanalyse og sosial fortolkning: Spatial Analysis and Social Interpretation

Spatial Analysis and Social Interpretation of Maritime Archaic Indian and Paleoeskimo Dwelling Structures in Labrador.

Deltaker(e):
Bryan Hood

Much of archaeological research involves problems of pattern recognition and interpretation of spatially distributed phenomena. At the level of site structure, a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods have been developed to explore the multiple dimensions of spatial patterning in features, artifacts and ecofacts. Conceptual frameworks have been formulated for interpreting those patterns in terms of activity areas and site formation processes as well as social and symbolic practices. I use early Indian and Paleoeskimo material from Labrador, Canada, to illustrate some of these issues.

Spatial Patterning in Maritime Archaic Sites

During the Maritime Archaic Indian Tradition of northern Labrador (7500-3500 BP)there were different forms of dwelling structures: boulder pit-houses, rectangular tent rings, and "longhouses". In some cases these features can be identified from visible construction components such as stone walls or depressions in cobble beaches. In other cases, however, construction components are lacking and dwellings must be recognized by searching for patterns in the arrangement of hearths and lithic distributions. The latter cases may pose difficult problems of inference. Several Early/Middle Maritime Archaic sites in the Nain region are located on prominent tombolo beaches that were re-occupied on several occasions over some thousand years. Spatial overlapping between these occupations make it difficult to recognize patterns, or complicate the behavioural interpretation of patterning.

The site Nukasusutok-5 has traces of occupation ranging from 6000-5000 BP. There were no obvious dwelling construction components, so a series of distribution analyses were conducted to explore relations between hearth features, flake distributions and tool distributions. Flake distributions were the most informative, suggesting the presence of two "behavioural modules" near the center of the main excavation (Figure 1). But it was uncertain whether these represent separate tent structures, parts of a larger rectangular "longhouse", or configurations created by a combination of re-occupation and natural site formation processes.

Figure 1. Nukasusutok-5, Area 2. Flake distribution and hearths

The distribution of tools was evaluated using k-means cluster analysis, a statistical technique that groups together (clusters) those tools lying in closest proximity to each other. The results are expressed graphically as a series of circles across the site surface, each circle indicating a tool group (Figure 2). These groupings may help delineate activity or disposal areas. One shortcoming, however, is that the circular form of the clusters is a result of the statistical technique; the actual form of the artifact distributions is undoubtedly more irregular.

Figure 2. Nukasusutok-5, Area 2; k-means cluster analysis of the tool distribution

Archaeological spatial patterning must be assessed in relation to control data derived from living societies. Studies of how modern hunter-gatherer sites are formed (Figure 3) can be used as analogies for patterns observed in the archaeological record and can serve to evaluate the various premises that we use (often incorrectly) to draw behavioural inferences from the archaeological material.

Figure 3. Innu Indian camp site, Labrador 1996

Spatial Patterning in Paleoeskimo Sites

"Paleoeskimo" refers to the people who inhabitated the North American Arctic prior to the Inuit (i.e. 4500-1000 BP). The early Paleoeskimo people seem to have used only tent dwellings, while the later Paleoeskimos used both tents and semi-subterranean winter houses. Paleoeskimo dwellings sometimes exhibit a spatial configuration called a "mid-passage" structure, or "axial feature". These terms denote a central fireplace (often a "box-hearth" made of upright stone slabs), from which extend rock compartments or dividers that bisect the dwelling. Dwellings therefore tend to exhibit bilateral patterns of activity organization. In some cases the distribution of different artifact types on opposite sides of the axial feature may indicate a gendered division of space.

Figure 4 shows a well-preserved axial feature from a Pre-Dorset Paleoeskimo site in Labrador. The distribution of tools and flakes illustrates the tendency for a bilateral pattern and one of the re-fits of broken tools shows the movement of an implement between the central feature and the lateral areas (the circles indicate k-means clusters of tools).

Figure 4. Pre-Dorset axial feature with tool and flake distribution