Chapter 7 Serrated Projectile Points from Inland Raised Elevation Sites
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Chapter 7 Serrated Projectile Points from Inland Raised Elevation Sites in the Greater Victoria Area Morley Eldridge† and Martina Steffen‡ † Millennia Research Limited, Victoria, BC ‡ Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC Introduction There are no radiocarbon dates earlier than (e.g., Golder Associates 2006). Because a number 3800 BP1 from archaeological sites in the Greater of the points from the summit were similar, and ap- Victoria area, though we must assume that people peared to be types missing or rare in local coastline were occupying the area millennia before this. Lo- excavated assemblages, the authors hypothesized cal sea level history suggests that earlier occupation that the points may date to an earlier time period sites in the area are likely to be either drowned or than is currently recorded archaeologically in the stranded on raised beach terraces. Bifaces recovered Victoria area; a time period after which rising sea from inland locations have some attributes that are levels had inundated any associated coastal habita- rare in bifaces recovered from later period coastline tion sites. Furthermore, projectile points with den- sites. This paper examines the characteristics and ticulate blades are known to date to a moderately typology of serrated and denticulate bifaces in the early period elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Victoria area and their geographic characteristics such as spatial distribution and elevation. A regional Victoria Area Sea Level History comparison examines the distribution and age of this trait. We introduce bifaces that have been found The sea level curve has been established for the in association with serrated forms, and several addi- Greater Victoria area. Sea levels at the close of the tional apparently ancient artifacts from raised inland Pleistocene (13,000 BP) were very high, more than locations. No direct dating for the Victoria points 75 metres above present day levels (Hutchinson is available, however, the arguments based on find 1992). Sea levels fell rapidly, however, and lowered locations, sea levels, and stylistic crossdating are, we to present day levels 11,700 radiocarbon years ago believe, compelling. (Mosher and Hewitt 2004), after which sea level During a recent archaeological assessment continued to fall below present day levels. The profile project, an unusual projectile point with denticulate of the floor of Portage Inlet, below Skirt Mountain, blades was recovered while excavating a shovel test shows subaerially weathered glacial tills, overlain by on a small, high-elevation bench near the summit terrestrial peats, which are in turn capped by marine of Skirt Mountain (Eldridge et al. 2006:25). Other deposits (Foster 1972). The peats are as deep as archaeological investigation in the same locality -6.1 metres below present sea level. The weathered had encountered several additional projectile points tills are found up to at least 10 meters depth at Royal Roads (Mathews et al. 1970), and core samples and 1 Uncalibrated radiocarbon date. unconformities in bedding as well as apparent wave- cut terraces off Esquimalt Harbour extend to over served two different methods of manufacturing den- 50 metres below present mean sea level (Mosher ticulate or serrated edge margins. The first is achieved and Hewitt 2004). Mosher and Hewitt suggest the through removal of small pressure flakes from lowest sea level was attained by 9919 ± 60 radiocar- alternate faces along the finished edge margin. This bon years ago. Sea levels around Victoria stabilized produces a slightly wavy edge. Generally, the alternat- at their present position by about 5550 radiocarbon ing bifacial flake removal method seems to produce a years ago (Mosher and Hewitt 2004), although this slightly a less pronounced projection than the second is based on a single date just above present sea level method of manufacture, which is the removal of bifa- on a terrestrial sample. Despite the relatively large cial flakes along both faces originating from the same amount of archaeological work undertaken along point along the edge margin, the depression between the current shoreline in Victoria, no sites dating to denticulate projections. Identification of the method before 3800 BP have ever been radiocarbon dated of manufacture for serration or denticulate blades is (Keddie 2006). The archaeological record is a good not provided in the literature we reviewed. Subse- indication that sea levels may have reached present quently, in the following we use the word denticulate, day elevations only about 3500–4000 BP (Bornhold the second method of manufacture above, where it 2007). Locations just east and west of the city also is present in the RBCM examples and to describe show a possibly small but sudden rise in sea levels a very pronounced tooth edge in some cases within about 2000 years ago (Clague 1989). the literature. We use the term serration, as defined above, to describe the first method of manufacture Human Occupation in the Victoria Area in the RBCM examples and in cases were it was not possible for us to identify the specific manufacturing We must assume that people were living in what is technique. Furthermore, this difference in manufac- now the Victoria area during the middle and early turing technique may have temporal implications. Holocene, even though there has been no radiocar- bon dated archaeological evidence of this. There is Victoria Area Sites and Artifact Descriptions abundant proof that people were elsewhere on the Northwest Coast from the very early through mid- The following sample was composed from the dle Holocene (e.g., Carlson 1979; Carlson 1996a, b; RBCM collections. Included are descriptions of Dixon et al. 1998; Fedje et al. 2004; Gallison each site from which denticulate or serrated, and 1994; Gustafson et al. 1979; Matson 1976b, 1996; several other potentially early-type points, were McLaren 2006; Carlson 1990). The exclusive pres- recovered (Figure 1). All the chipped-stone points ence of late period archaeological evidence in the from each site with denticulate or serrated points are Victoria area probably results from an emphasis on considered. Site elevations are all relative to current archaeological research at or near the current shore- sea level unless specified otherwise (Figure 2), and line. We suggest that several potentially early and sites are discussed in order from highest elevation middle Holocene point forms from the Victoria area to lowest elevation. We have included some artifacts have been retained within the Royal BC Museum that are catalogued with “y” Borden number des- (RBCM) archaeology collections. Specifically, in ignations, which have more general locations than the following we define denticulation and serration those with designated Borden numbers, although as biface attributes that likely occur most frequently in some cases the location is actually quite precise, in periods earlier than 3800 BP. where a block number or a street address is known. Artifact metrics are provided in Table 1. Defining Denticulate and Serrated DcRv–154 In the following we use the terms “denticulate” and “serrated” to describe bifacial tools with tooth-like This isolated find site is located near the summit projections along the blade margin. The terms den- of Skirt Mountain at 325 metres above current sea ticulate and serrated are often used interchangeably level. The biface recovered from the site has den- (Loy and Powell 1977). During examination of the ticulate blades, rounded shoulders, contracting stem, denticulate bifaces in the RBCM collection we ob- and a convex base. The point appears to have been 88 | Eldridge & Steffen Figure 1. Map of the projectile point locations in the Victoria area referenced in the text. Serrated Projectile Points from Inland Raised Elevation Sites in the Greater Victoria Area | 89 Table 1. Descriptive statistics of serrated/denticulate points in the Victoria region. Dimensions in mm. Length Width Thickness Wi/Th Ratio Count (n=) 14 24 24 24 Mean 73 28 9 3.0 Standard Deviation 13 7 2 0.8 Median 71 27 10 2.9 Interquartile 1/4 65 23 8 2.5 Interquartile 3/4 78 32 11 3.9 Minimum 48 13 5 1.7 Maximum 105 47 13 4.3 Figure 2. Three-dimensional map of the Victoria area with the locations of projectile points indicated. reworked from an originally longer form (Figure 3a). DdRu–21 Several additional serrated or denticulate bifaces from the mountain have been found during recent Artifacts from this Saanich site, which is located fieldwork, but have not yet been reported. at the junction of West Saanich and Keating Cross Road at an elevation of 73 metres, include several DcRu–y:82 bifaces (Figure 3b, c, d, g, i). Among them are four denticulate points: a small stemmed point with ser- This distal-medial segment has excurvate serrated rated excurvate blades, rounded shoulders, and a blades (Figure 3e) and was collected near Triangle slightly broken base; a barbed or eared denticulate Mountain at an elevation of 85 metres. point with recurved blades, concave base; and the 90 | Eldridge & Steffen Figure 3. Projectile points recovered from elevations over 60 metres in the Victoria area. a: DcRv–154; b: DdRu–21:4; c: DdRu–21:5; d: DdRu–21:6; e: DcRu–y:82; f: DcRu–y:146; g: DdRu–21:1; h: DdRu–20:1; i: DdRu–21:3; j: DdRu–31:1. end fragment of a denticulate point with subra- thin lanceolate points recovered from the Stave Wa- dial flaking and a thin and lenticular cross-section. tershed (McLaren 2003). The pronounced teeth along Non-denticulate points from the site (Figure 3g, i) the biface blades were produced by the removal of two include two larger points: a medial fragment of a flakes bifacially from the same point at the center of slightly contracting stemmed point with excurvate the depression between denticulate projections. blades, and a complete biface with excurvate blades, irregular base, and subradial flake scars.