12000 Years in the Maritimes

Описание: Archaeological investigations in Atlantic Canada have uncovered profound evidence of human occupation stretching back 12,000 years, fundamentally reshaping the understanding of the region's deep history. Major sites in New Brunswick, particularly at Marysville and Jemseg, along with the Debert site in Nova Scotia, provide a tangible record of Paleo-Indian life in a post-glacial landscape dramatically different from that of today. These discoveries fill significant gaps in the archaeological record and offer a glimpse into the lives of some of the first peoples to inhabit what is now New Brunswick.
The Jemseg Crossing Archaeology Project (JCAP), conducted in 1996-1997, stands as a landmark initiative. As the largest First Nations archaeological excavation in the Maritimes, it was a salvage operation necessitated by the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway. The project is notable for its pioneering co-management model involving the Wolastoqiyik Nation, its development of innovative winter excavation techniques to overcome harsh conditions, and the wealth of data it produced on millennia of human activity. Excavations revealed a complex, multi-component site with evidence of occupation spanning the Middle Archaic to the Historic periods, yielding undisturbed living floors, hearths, and a suspected semi-subterranean dwelling.

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I. Major Archaeological Sites and Regional Timeframes
A. The Paleo-Indian Period (c. 13,000 - 11,000 years ago)
Evidence from key sites in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia confirms the presence of sophisticated hunter-gatherer groups, known as Paleo-Indians, who inhabited the region as glaciers retreated.
Marysville Site, New Brunswick:
Age: Approximately 12,000 years old.
Context: The site was located on what was once the beach of a vast glacial lake that inundated the area, including the entirety of modern-day Fredericton.
Significance: This discovery helps to fill a critical gap in the archaeological record between known 13,000-year-old sites in the Penfield area and the 11,600-year-old Debert site. According to provincial archaeologist Brent Suttie, "This really gets to the origins of what’s now New Brunswick... these are some of the first people, first evidence we have of people being in what is now New Brunswick." Artifacts include ancient tools and spear parts.
Debert Site, Nova Scotia:
Age: Over 11,000 years old.
Context: A Paleo-Indian camp situated along the edge of the retreating ice sheet, in a landscape of open tundra and grassland.
Findings: The site yielded highly skilled, fluted spear points and tool-making debris, indicating the presence of expert hunters adapted to an ice-edge environment, possibly following caribou and other megafauna.
B. The Jemseg Crossing Site: A Multi-Millennial Record
The Jemseg Archaeological Site, located on the Jemseg River in Queens County, New Brunswick, represents one of the most significant First Nations sites in the region, showcasing thousands of years of continuous human activity.
Overview: Designated a Protected Provincial Historic Site, Jemseg is a 37,779-square-meter area comprising three distinct, temporally significant terraces. It served as a vital "stepping stone" and "stop over place" in the travel routes of the Wolastoq cultural landscape. The Wolastoqiyik people have inhabited the broader Wolastoq valley for over 12,000 years.
Key Findings from Excavation: The Jemseg Crossing Archaeology Project (JCAP) produced invaluable information, particularly regarding the poorly understood early Maritime Woodland period.
Time Periods: The site contains evidence of occupation from the Middle Archaic, Terminal Archaic, Early to Late Maritime Woodland, and early Historic periods. The oldest artifacts recovered date to over 6,000 years old.
Cultural Features: Excavations uncovered 56 undisturbed features, including cooking hearths, storage pits, and living floors.
Structures: The project found evidence of a suspected semi-subterranean dwelling complex, which could be the first inland example of such a structure found in the Maritimes.
Dating: Twelve radiocarbon dates recovered from the primary intact features place them between 3,000 and 1,600 years ago.
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Brent Suttie, Provincial Archaeologist: On the Marysville site: "This really gets to the origins of what's now New Brunswick... these are some of the first people, first evidence we have of people being in what is now New Brunswick."
Susan Blair, Archaeologist and JCAP Editor: Through the process of collaboration, she identified several core principles learned from Wolastoqiyik elders and colleagues that guided the project: