Maritime Archaic
Encyclopedia
The Maritime Archaic is a North America
n cultural complex of the Late Archaic along the coast of Newfoundland
, the Canadian Martimes
and northern New England
. The Maritime Archaic began in approximately 7000 BC and lasted into the 18th century. The culture consisted of sea-mammal hunters
in the subarctic
who used wooden boats. Maritime Archaic sites have been found as far south as Maine
and as far north as Labrador. Their settlements included longhouses
, and boat-topped temporary or seasonal houses. They engaged in long-distance trade, as shown by white chert from northern Labrador
being found as far south as Maine.
The Maritime Archaic is one cultural complex among several of the Archaic stage for North American peoples. The most likely direct descendants of the Maritime Archaic culture were the Beothuk
of Newfoundland who, through susceptibility to Eurasian diseases, conflict with neighbouring native groups, European persecution, and a small population base, disappeared in the 19th century as a distinct tribe. The earlier Dorset culture
, which died out before 1500 CE
during Inuit
expansion, was also a likely descendant. Scholars believe that the large and varied Algonquian
-language group of native peoples present in subarctic eastern Canada today likely originated along the Saint Lawrence River
.
The Maritime Archaic period is best known from a mortuary site in Newfoundland at Port au Choix
. This site revealed over 100 graves embellished with red ochre. The graves contained many elaborate artifact
s, including barbed bone points; daggers of ivory, antler, or bone; toggling harpoon
s; shell-beaded clothing; and a burial suit made from more than 200 skins of the now-extinct Great Auk
. These finds indicated a stratified
society with trade and some level of social complexity (Tuck, 1976).
Another significant Maritime Archaic find are the "Red Ochre Culture" burials throughout the Northeast United States. They may represent the last phases of the Maritime Archaic, as they contain significant finds of white chert artifacts common to other Maritime Archaic sites. This issue is currently debated among scholars.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n cultural complex of the Late Archaic along the coast of Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, the Canadian Martimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. The Maritime Archaic began in approximately 7000 BC and lasted into the 18th century. The culture consisted of sea-mammal hunters
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
in the subarctic
Subarctic
The Subarctic is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic and covering much of Alaska, Canada, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and northern Mongolia...
who used wooden boats. Maritime Archaic sites have been found as far south as Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and as far north as Labrador. Their settlements included longhouses
Long house
A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building built by peoples in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe and North America....
, and boat-topped temporary or seasonal houses. They engaged in long-distance trade, as shown by white chert from northern Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
being found as far south as Maine.
The Maritime Archaic is one cultural complex among several of the Archaic stage for North American peoples. The most likely direct descendants of the Maritime Archaic culture were the Beothuk
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
of Newfoundland who, through susceptibility to Eurasian diseases, conflict with neighbouring native groups, European persecution, and a small population base, disappeared in the 19th century as a distinct tribe. The earlier Dorset culture
Dorset culture
The Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Inuit culture in Arctic North America. It has been defined as having four phases, with distinct technology related to the people's hunting and tool making...
, which died out before 1500 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
during Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
expansion, was also a likely descendant. Scholars believe that the large and varied Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
-language group of native peoples present in subarctic eastern Canada today likely originated along the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
.
The Maritime Archaic period is best known from a mortuary site in Newfoundland at Port au Choix
Port au Choix
Port au Choix or Port aux Choix is a town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The nearest airport is Port au Choix Airport, 2.8 km to the southeast.- History :...
. This site revealed over 100 graves embellished with red ochre. The graves contained many elaborate artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s, including barbed bone points; daggers of ivory, antler, or bone; toggling harpoon
Toggling harpoon
The toggling harpoon is an ancient weapon and tool used in whaling to impale a whale when thrown. Unlike earlier harpoon versions which had only one point, a toggling harpoon has a two-part point...
s; shell-beaded clothing; and a burial suit made from more than 200 skins of the now-extinct Great Auk
Great Auk
The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the genus Alca, was a large, flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, a group of birds that formerly included one other species of flightless giant auk from the Atlantic Ocean...
. These finds indicated a stratified
Social stratification
In sociology the social stratification is a concept of class, involving the "classification of persons into groups based on shared socio-economic conditions ... a relational set of inequalities with economic, social, political and ideological dimensions."...
society with trade and some level of social complexity (Tuck, 1976).
Another significant Maritime Archaic find are the "Red Ochre Culture" burials throughout the Northeast United States. They may represent the last phases of the Maritime Archaic, as they contain significant finds of white chert artifacts common to other Maritime Archaic sites. This issue is currently debated among scholars.