Where the wild things grow : a palaeoethnobotanical study of late woodland plant use at Clam Cove, Nova Scotia

Abstract

Recent palaeoethnobotanical research carried out at the Clam Cove site in the Minas Basin region of Nova Scotia has added new information to the study of Late Woodland (1500-450 BP) hunter-gatherer groups in this area. Flotation of sediments from the Clam Cove site revealed a modest compliment of plant species which made this location ideal as a temporary camp utilized during lithic collection trips to Scots Bay. Flotation and charcoal analyses also uncovered evidence of species not previously recovered at the Clam Cove site, including beech (Fagus grandifolia), poplar (Populus sp.), strawberries (Fragaria sp.) and blueberries (Vaccinium sp.). Most floral remains reflect a strong reliance on local plant species easily gathered from the immediate area. The comparison of these plant species to those identified at the village sites at Melanson and St. Croix also shows a consistent pattern of plant use between habitation and temporary campsites within the region.