HISTORIC PLANFORM DYNAMICS OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER: IMPLICATIONS FOR ALLUVIAL GEOARCHAEOLOGY

The Connecticut River valley from Hartford to Long Island Sound preserves archaeological sites and settlement patterns from the Early Archaic through the Woodland periods. Research completed by New England archaeologists demonstrates that the geomorphology of the Connecticut River was a significant factor in the settlement decisions throughout the Archaic. Furthermore, the changing geomorphology has been the most significant factor affecting site preservation and destruction thereby obscuring the settlement pattern. A detailed examination of the geomorphic history of the Middle Connecticut River valley is necessary to understand the effects of changing alluvial geomorphology on prehistoric settlement strategies and current archaeological site distributions.

It has been hypothesized that the creation of a rich habitable floodplain in conjunction with drying occurring in the wetland areas made riverine occupation an optimal strategy in the Middle Archaic. This study partially clarifies whether the perceived settlement pattern resulted from settlement choices in response to a changing environment or differential preservation. Archaeological data from the Middle Connecticut River valley was collected by the Office of State Archaeology, various cultural resource management firms and researchers. The digitized archaeological site database, created by Grant, shows 252 prehistoric sites still exist in the study area. Examining all archaeological data on file from the 1920's to present and combining it with historic maps of a segment of the Connecticut River reveals the importance of delineating planform dynamics for archaeologists interested in sites and settlement patterns of floodplains and terraces of large river valleys.