PREHISTORIC MORTUARY VARIABILITY ON GABRIOLA ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA A. Joanne Curtin Archaeology Press Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. Prehistoric Mortuary Variability On Gabriola Island, British Columbia A. Joanne Curtin Copyright @ 2002 Archaeology Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, without prior written consent of the publisher. Printed and bound in Canada ISBN 0-86491-227-7 Publication No. 29 Archaeology Press Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 (604) 291-3135 Fax: (604 291-5666 Editor: Roy L. Carlson Cover photo: Wolf and bird petroglyph near the Gabriola bluff burial sites. Photo by R.L. Carlson courtesy of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, SFU. it Contents Page List of Tables .................................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. viii Chapters 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Mortuary Variability ........................................................................................... 1 Mortuary Archaeology ...................................................................................... 2 Mortuary Analysis on the Northwest Coast ..................................................... 3 Mortuary Variability on Gabriola Island ......................................................... 4 Organization........................................................................................................ 4 2. The Study A rea ...................................................................................................... 5 Physical Setting.................................................................................................... 5 Ethnographic Context ........................................................................................ 7 Regional Culture History ........................ 9 Nanaimo Area Prehistory ................................................................................... 14 3. Materials and Methods ......................................................................................... 17 Site Reconnaissance............................................................................................ 17 Excavation Methods............................................................................................ 18 Data Collection ................................................................................................... 19 Comparative Analysis ........................................................................................ 21 4. Site Reconnaissance .............................................................................................. 25 Introduction......................................................................................................... 25 Survey Results .................................................................................................... 25 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 33 5. Excavations a t DgRw 204-F1 ............................................................................. 35 Feature Description ............................................................................................. 35 Excavation Results.............................................................................................. 36 Human Remains....................................................... 41 Mortuary Practices .............................................................................................. 45 6. Excavations a t DgRw 2 0 4 -F 2 ............................................................................. 47 Feature Description............................................................................................. 47 Excavation Results.............................................................................................. 47 Human Remains.................................................................................................. 50 Mortuary Practices .............................................................................................. 54 7. Excavations a t DgRw 204-F6 ............................................................................. 55 Feature Description ............................................................................................. 55 Excavation Results.............................................................................................. 55 Human Remains.................................................................................................. 58 Mortuary Practices .............................................................................................. 62 8. Excavations a t DgRw 199-F1 ............................................................................. 63 Feature Description ............................................................................................. 63 Excavation Results.............................................................................................. 64 Human Remains.................................................................................................. 71 Mortuary Practices .............................................................................................. 86 iii Chapters (continued) Page 9. Excavations a t DgRw 199-F9 ............................................................................. 89 Feature Description ............................................................................................. 89 Excavation Results.............................................................................................. 90 Human Remains.................................................................................................. 95 Mortuary Practices .............................................................................................. 198 10. Comparative Analysis and Conclusions....................................................... 105 Hypothesis I: Population Variation ................................................................... 107 Hypothesis II: Chronological Variation............................................................. 109 Hypothesis III: Social Differentiation ............................................................... 110 Alternate Hypothesis: Manner of D eath............................................................ 112 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 114 Summary .............................................................................................................. 116 Suggestions for Future Research........................................................................ 117 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 119 Appendices A. FAUNAL CATALOGUE ........................................................................................ 127 B. ARTIFACT DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................... 141 DgRw 199-F1 ..................................................................................................... 127 DgRw 199-F9...................................................................................................... 141 DgRw 204-F1 DgRw 204-F6............................................................................. 141 DgRw 210-F7 ..................................................................................................... 152 C. OSTEOLOGICAL DATA COM PARISONS....................................................... 156 List Of Tables Tables Page 2.1 Cultural components reported from Nanaimo area sites.................................... 15 3.1 Adult age distributions, False Narrows burial sample...................................... 23 3.2 Trait lists for biodistance analysis ..................................................................... 24 4.1 DgRw 204 burial feature summary ................................................................... 27 4.2 DgRw 199 burial feature summary ................................................................... 30 4.3 DgRw 210 burial feature summary ................................................................... 32 4.4 DgRw 213 burial feature summary ................................................................... 32 5.1 Summary of vertebrate fauna (NISP), DgRw 204-F1 ..................................... 39 5.2 Spatial distribution of human remains, DgRw 204-F1 .................................... 44 6.1 Spatial distribution of human remains, DgRw 204-F2..................................... 53 7.1 Spatial distribution of human remains, DgRw 204-F6..................................... 61 iv Tables (continued) Page 8.1 Summary of vertebrate fauna (NISP), DgRw 199-F1 ..................................... 69 8.2 Radiocarbon dates from DgRw 199-F1............................................................. 71 8.3 Spatial distribution of human remains, DgRw 199-F1 ...................................