LE3 .A278 2015

2015

Spooner, Ian
Deal, Michael

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Environmental Science

Environmental & Sustainability Studies

In 2009, artifacts were found at the Boswell archaeological site which is located near Kingston, Nova Scotia next to the Annapolis River. From 2011 until present excavations at the site have uncovered potsherds, lithics and ecofacts which collectively indicate Terminal Archaic to Late Woodland occupation. Although the site was likely intermittently occupied from the Terminal Archaic to the Late Woodland (ca. 3800 -1000 BP), the environmental and ecological conditions which made this location appealing for native occupants are unknown. High resolution paleoenvironmental data from southwestern Nova Scotia indicate that at about 3000 BP forest composition changed rapidly as cooler and moister conditions developed. From 3000 BP till 1000 BP, cool and moist conditions were punctuated by occasional droughts, resulting in increased flow of the Annapolis River. The Boswell site is located on a reach of the Annapolis River that has been relatively stable for the last 3000 years, a condition which facilitated site preservation. The river terrace at the excavation site was formed by 3000 BP due to increased river discharge and sediment aggradation facilitated by the development of bedrock and till strath. A prominent, permanent pool in the river near the site may have been where in habitants harvested various anadromous fish species. Changing forest composition and increased river discharge associated with changing climate precipitation, bank stability, and the presence of a harvesting site nearby have made the Boswell site desirable for continued seasonal use over a long period of time.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1237