Uvic Thesis Template
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Exploring the Utility of Computer Technologies and Human Faculties in their Spatial Capacities to Model the Archaeological Potential of Lands: Holocene Archaeology in Northeast Graham Island, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada by Adrian Sanders BA, Honours, University of British Columbia, 2006 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTERS OF ARTS In the Department of Anthropology ¤ Adrian Sanders, 2009 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ISBN: 978-0-494-52930-0 Exploring the Utility of Computer Technologies and Human Faculties in their Spatial Capacities to Model the Archaeological Potential of Lands: Holocene Archaeology in Northeast Graham Island, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada by Adrian Sanders BA, Honours, University of British Columbia, 2006 Supervisory Committee Dr. Brian Thom, (Department of Anthropology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Quentin Mackie, (Department of Anthropology) Co-Supervisor ii Supervisory Committee Dr. Brian Thom, (Department of Anthropology) Co-Supervisor Dr. Quentin Mackie, (Department of Anthropology) Co-Supervisor Abstract Search strategies have been a central activity within archaeology, varying with the types of questions being addressed, technological tools available, and theoretical proclivity of the investigator. This thesis will test the utility of LiDAR remote sensing and GIS spatial technologies against a phenomenological field methodology. Modeled lands include select areas within Northeast Graham Island, Haida Gwaii, located off the northern Pacific coast of Canada. The time scale in question includes the entire Holocene. A history of the landscape concept is evaluated, fleshing out a decisive working term. An Interdisciplinary Multilogical Framework is devised, linking the two modeling methods with a breadth of information sources on the physical and cultural attributes of landscapes. This dialectic approach culminates in a holistic anthropological practice, and grounds for interpretive analysis of the archaeological record. The role of archaeological predictive modeling in the contemporary socio-political context of heritage management in British Columbia is discussed. iii Table of Contents Supervisory Committee………………………………………………………………….........ii Abstract………………………………………………………………………………….........iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..iv List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………………...vi List of Figures.……………………………..…………………………………..….................vii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………x Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………....xii 1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………......................1 2 Archaeological Background……………………………………………………………….8 2.1 Project Contextualized Within Three Scales of Analysis…………………………….8 2.1.1 Northwest Coast…………………………..……………………………………...9 2.1.2 Haida Gwaii……..…………………………………………………………..….14 2.1.3 Northeast Graham Island: Known Archaeology……………………..…………21 2.2 Landscape: Theorizing the Term, Concept, and Perspective………………..………32 2.3 Archaeological Holism and the Landscape Perspective……………………….........42 2.4 Dialectical Archaeology………………………………………………………..........43 3 Acquiring Information for Model Building……………………………………………...45 3.1 Multidisciplinary Information and Landscape Modeling…………………………..45 3.1.1 Sea Level and the Temporality of Landscape Change…………………………48 3.1.2 Geological Origins and Geomorphology…………………………………........53 3.1.2.1 Pleistocene Glacial History?.........................................................................56 3.1.3 Palaeoenvironment and the Refugium Concept?.................................................58 3.1.4 Animal Presence / Behaviour and the Refugium Concept……………………...64 3.2 Ecology and Anthropology and their Influences on Landscape Archaeology……...65 3.3 RS and GIS Applications: Concept of Technologies and History of Use in Archaeology…………………………………………………………………………….67 3.3.1 LiDAR: Concept of the Technology……………………………………………69 3.3.2 Integrate Application to Thesis Problems.……………………………………...72 3.4 Results………………………………………………………………………….........73 4 Pre-field Model-Building: Objectifying the Landscape and its Inhabitants?....................75 4.1 Scale in Landscape-derived Models………………………………………………...75 4.2 Building an Archaeological Potential Model………………………………………..82 4.2.1 Hill model…………………………………………………………………........90 4.2.1.1 Argonaut Hill…………………………………………………………........91 4.2.1.2 Taaw Hill……………………………………………………………..........98 4.2.2 Marine Generated Feature Model………………………………………..........100 4.2.2.1 Clearwater Lake and Base of Argonaut Hill Environs…………………...109 4.2.2.2 Lower Hiellen River and Base of Taaw Hill Environs…………………...111 4.2.2.3 Summary………………………………………………………………….112 4.3 Problematize the Predictive Model Exercise………………………………………114 4.3.1 Space-time Simulation Difficulties……………………………………............122 iv 4.3.2 The Paradox in the Temporality of Knowing in Cross-cultural Inquiries: Indigenous and Western views of History in Archaeological Analysis……………………………………………………………………..........123 4.4 Resolving, or Reconciling with the Paradox……………………………………….126 4.4.1 Diachronic and Isocratic Model of Haida Cultural History: A Return to the Longue Durée in Northwest Coast Archaeology……………………………..128 4.5 Summary of Discussions…………………………………………………………...132 5 Archaeological Testing: Experiencing the Landscape………………………………….134 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………...134 5.2 Field Methods: Qualifying the Quantified…………………………………………134 5.2.1 Testing the Marine Generated Feature Model………………………………...135 5.2.2 Testing the Hill Model………………………………………………………...136 5.3 Summary…………………………………………………………………………...148 6 Results, Observations, and Suggestions………………………………………………...156 6.1 Time, Place, and Materiality……………………………………………………….157 6.1.1 Argonaut Hill Forks (GaTw-9)…………………………………………..........157 6.1.2 Clearwater Lake Imber Creek Confluence (GaTw-10)……………………….160 6.1.3 Clearwater Lake North Beach (GaTw-11)……………………………………162 6.1.4 Hiellen River Spit NE (GaTw-12).....................................................................163 6.1.5 Hiellen River Spit SE Gully (GaTw-13)………………………………………164 6.1.6 Hiellen River Stone Bowl (GaTw-14)………………………………………...165 6.1.7 Taaw Hill SE (GaTw-15)………………………………………………...........170 6.1.8 Taaw Hill Lower Bench Southeast (GaTw 21)………………………………..171 6.1.9 2005 Taaw Hill Investigations………………………………………………...172 6.1.10 Giant Barnacle (GaTw-16)……………………………………………..........174 6.1.11 Historic / Proto-Historic Archaeology (GaTw 17-20)……………………….177 6.2 Discussion: Northeast Graham Island Archaeology in Context……………………183 6.2.1 Interpreting and Assemblages………………………………………….............184 6.2.2 Interpreting Stratigraphic Results……………………………………………...187 6.2.3 Interpreting Temporal Results…………………………………………………190 6.2.4 Interpreting Spatial Results…………………………………………………….191 7 Experiential Learning……………………………………………………………...........195 7.1 LiDAR and GIS: Tools for Experiencing Landscape Simulacra…………………..198 7.2 Phenomenology and Landscape Archaeology……………………………………..201 7.3 Synthetic Methodological Praxis…………………………………………………..204 8 Towards a Holistic Landscape Archaeology on the Pacific Northwest Coast…………208 8.1 Interdisciplinary Multilogical Framework…………………………………………208 8.2 Contextualizing Archaeology in Local Oral Knowledge…………………………….212 9 Situating Contemporary Government Mandated Archaeological Practice in British Columbia: with Suggestions for Future Directions……………………………..220 9.1 A Critical Evaluation of Recent Changes to Archaeological Overview Assessment (AOA) General Planning Tools Standards and Guidelines ……..........220 9.2 Reflection on the State of Heritage Preservation in the Province in Consideration of the Rubric of Landscape Archaeology……………………..........233 9.3 Conclusions and Future Recommendations…………………………………..........236 10 References Cited……………………………………………..…………………..........240 v 11 Appendix I: 2005 NE Graham Island Artifact Images…………………………..........272 Appendix II: 2007 Taaw Hill Artifact Images………………………………………...279 vi List of Tables 2.1 Table showing information on the earliest known archaeology of the Northwest Coast..13 2.2 Table showing data of early and mid-Holocene archaeology corresponding to Figure 2.2…………………………………………………………………………………………….17 2.3 Table showing archaeological loci directly within the northeast Graham Island research area (GaTw Borden Grid), and others nearby……………………………………...24 3.1 Table showing palaeoecological time-line for vegetation succession of northeast Graham Island………………………………………………………………………………..60 4.1 Table describing attributes in Figure 4.7 used in building the predictive model………...85 4.2 Table showing attribute type and data collection location information relevant for establishing palaoelandscape reconstructions, and people-landscape relations……………..89 4.3 Table showing geographical, elevation, slope, and aspect values for evaluate unit test locations derived for Argonaut Hill………………………………………………………….94 4.4 Table showing evaluative units derived for testing the palaeo-marine spit feature south of Taaw Hill and to the west of Hiellen River…………………………………….....112 5.1 Table showing the location, dates, and type of archaeological inquiry associated with the research area……………………………………………………………………………135 5.2 Table showing geographical, elevation, slope, and aspect values for evaluate unit test locations derived for Hiellen River palaeo-spit…………………………………………….138 6.1 Table showing data for all