Environmental Change and Terrestrial Resource Use by the Thule and Inuit of Labrador, Canada

File Identifier: 13117_iso.xml

Metadata Language: eng; CAN

: utf8

Resource Type: Dataset

Responsible Party:

Individual Name: Polar Data Catalogue

Organisation Name: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

Role: Point Of Contact

Contact Info:

Voice: (519) 888-4567 x32689

Street Address: 200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

City: Waterloo

Province/State: Ontario

Postal Code/ZIP: N2L 3G1

Country: Canada

E-Mail Address: pdc@uwaterloo.ca

Metadata Date: 2019-10-28

Metadata Standard Name: North American Profile of ISO 19115:2003

Metadata Standard Version: 2009-01-01

Abstract: POLLEN ANALYSIS The lake selected for coring is located 500 m south of Oakes Bay 1 archeological site. An 80-cm long core was extracted from the peaty margin of the lake. Loss-on-ignition (LOI) and pollen and spore analyses were performed at 2-cm intervals on this core. For each level, 2 cm3 of sediment was processed following the procedures of Faegri and Iversen (1989) and Lavoie (2001) (i.e., chemical treatments using 10% KOH, HCl, and HF, and acetolysis). A Eucalyptus globulus pollen suspension of known volume and concentration was added to each sample before preparation to calculate pollen concentration (Benninghoff, 1962). Pollen and spore identification followed Richard (1970, 1981) and McAndrews, Berti, and Norris (1973). Pollen diagrams were drawn using Palaeo Data Plotter software (Juggins, 2002). MACROFOSSIL ANALYSIS Nine peat monoliths were sampled for stratigraphic analysis, macrofossil analysis, and radiocarbon dating. Macrofossil analysis was performed only on monoliths OBM8, OB-M14, and K-M1. The monoliths OB-M8 was extracted from the 5 to 7 m high paludified terrace (T13) on which the Oakes Bay 1 site is located. OB-M11 was sampled from lower terrace closer to the shore (T14). These monoliths were studied to determine possible impacts of human activity on the local environment and specifically on vegetation. To assess natural vegetation changes, we collected a monolith (OB-M14) from terrace T12, located ca. 100 m from the archaeological site. The monoliths were between 14 and 32 cm in length. Monolith K-M1 was sampled from a peaty shelf 4 m below the Koliktalik site. Macrofossil analysis was performed at 2-cm intervals following the protocol outlined by Bhiry and Filion (2001). Each sample consisted of 50 cm3 of sediment. Sediments were treated with a weak 5% aqueous KOH solution and boiled for a few minutes to deflocculate. The material was then wet-screened through a series of sieves (850-, 425-, and 180-um mesh). Macrofossils were identified under binocular and light microscopy. References used to identify plant remains included Montgomery (1977), Porsild and Cody (1979), Crum and Anderson (1980, Ireland (1982), and the collection at the CEN at Laval University. The macrofossils of vascular plants are expressed as number of macrofossils per 50 cm3 of sediments. For mosses, the percentage of each species was determined based on a subsample of 100 leaves. Macrofossil diagrams were constructed using Palaeo Data Plotter software (Juggins, 2002

Purpose: In this study, we used macrofossil and pollen analysis to examine how the Inuit of north-central Labrador used terrestrial resources such as peat and wood in response to climate changes. Macrofossil analysis was performed on peat monoliths taken from an archaeological site, and pollen analysis was conducted on a peat core extracted from the peaty margin of a nearby lake, located approximately 500 m to the south. By comparing our results with historical and archaeological data, especially with regard to subsistence economies (see for example, BriceBennett, 1977; Kaplan, 1983; Kaplan & Woollett, 2000; Woollett, 2003, 2007, 2010), we tested the hypothesis that changes in environmental conditions and vegetation were triggered mainly by climate. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) to reconstruct local and regional changes in the environment and vegetation on the Dog Island region of Labrador; (2) to determine whether climate was a principal factor involved in those changes; (3) to determine to what extent human activities were also involved in local vegetation changes. Fieldwork for the study was conducted on and in the vicinity of two archaeological sites: the main site was Oakes Bay 1 (HeCg-08) located on Dog Island, and the second was Koliktalik 6 (HdCg-23), located on the island of Koliktalik.

Language: eng; CAN

Citation:

Contact Info:

Title: Environmental Change and Terrestrial Resource Use by the Thule and Inuit of Labrador, Canada

Date:

Date: 2019-10-28

Date Type: Publication Date

Individual Name: Bhiry, Najat

Role: Principal Investigator

Individual Name: Roy, Natasha

Role:

Individual Name: Woollett, James

Role:

Point Of Contact:

Individual Name: Polar Data Catalogue

Organisation Name: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

Role: Point Of Contact

Contact Info:

Voice: (519) 888-4567 x32689

Street Address: 200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

City: Waterloo

Province/State: Ontario

Postal Code/ZIP: N2L 3G1

Country: Canada

E-Mail Address: pdc@uwaterloo.ca

Online Resource: polardata.ca

Topic Category: Environment and Conservation

Keyword Collection:

Keyword: Archaeology

Keyword: Climate history

Keyword: Labrador

Keyword: Nain

Keyword: Nunatsiavut

Keyword: Paleoecology

Keyword: Peat cores

Keyword: Peatland

Keyword: Pollen

Keyword: Spores

Associated Thesaurus: Polar Data Catalogue Thesaurus (Canada)

Keyword: Dog Island, Nain, Nunastiavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada - AAUZZ

Spatial Extent:

West Bounding Longitude: -61.131324

East Bounding Longitude: -61.131324

North Bounding Latitude: 56.666918

South Bounding Latitude: 56.666918

Legal Constraints:

Access Constraints: Other Restrictions

Use Constraints: Other Restrictions

Other Constraints: Terms of Use of the Polar Data Catalogue: https://www.polardata.ca/pdcinput/public/termsofuse

Distribution Format:

Format Name: Digital file

Format Version: 1.0

Distributor:

Distributor Contact:

Individual Name: Polar Data Catalogue

Organisation Name: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network

Role: Distributor

Contact Info:

Voice: (519) 888-4567 x32689

Street Address: 200 University Avenue West, University of Waterloo

City: Waterloo

Province/State: Ontario

Postal Code/ZIP: N2L 3G1

Country: Canada

E-Mail Address: pdc@uwaterloo.ca