ARCHAIC (MIDDLE) PERIOD ARCHAEOLOGY AND PALEOENVIRONMENTS OF THE THUNDER BAY REGION, NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO, CANADA

This study integrates paleoenvironmental data from two riverbank sections, and a recent Nipissing-level archaeological site survey, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The geological sections consist of a mix of lacustrine, fluvial, and nearshore sediments, in addition to several buried forest deposits dating to between 8900 and 8700 cal BP. New stratigraphic evidence, AMS radiocarbon dates, pollen, and wood identification data are used to situate the archaeological sites within the broader history of Lake Superior and the trajectory of Holocene paleovegetation change. Specifically, we observe that: (1) a wide range of Boreal Forest habitats were established very quickly in the region following deglaciation; (2) these early vegetation communities differed from their modern equivalents in terms of structure and species composition; and (3) lake-level fluctuations probably had a major impact on Archaic (Middle) Period site visibility and preservation before the culmination of the Nipissing phase. We also briefly discuss the potential for offshore archaeological sites in the northern Lake Superior basin due to unusually low water levels in the early Holocene.