Pre-contact period technological organization at Nachvak Fjord, northern Labrador

Abstract

This thesis presents the results of one season's fieldwork at three pre-contact period sites in Nachvak Fjord, northern Labrador. It includes a detailed description of the fieldwork conducted by the author as well as the material culture collected. The thesis follows a research design rooted in technological organization method and theory. An analytical framework has been established which has been systematically applied to the dataset. This analysis has allowed for a comprehensive interpretation of the data which demonstrates that many aspects of technological organization varied between cultural groups and between sites in this setting. In particular, important insights are drawn on the technological organization strategies used by the Labrador Archaic, as well as the Early (Pre-Dorset) and Late Palaeoeskimo (Middle and Late Dorset) groups occupying the sites in question.