Subarctic Explorations

A professor and his anthropology students seek to uncover the five-millennia history of the Maritime Archaic people of Newfoundland

The Maritime Archaic people thrived in harsh coastal conditions for nearly 5,000 years before disappearing around 1,000 B.C. Yet very little is known of their settlements, their social organizations, and how these were affected by ecological factors. A University anthropologist and three UAlbany students recently set about filling in the gaps on a two-week exploration in Newfoundland.

The research on the Maritime Archaic, led by Christopher Wolff, assistant professor of Anthropology, and Donald Holly of Eastern Illinois University, will have extensive implications for understanding how and when people first settled the easternmost region of North America, including its northern coasts and islands. The research is supported by a three-year NSF grant, which has been extended an additional year.