Environmental Change and Terrestrial Resource Use by the Thule and Inuit of Labrador, Canada

In this study, we used macrofossil and pollen analysis to examine how the Inuit of north-central Labrador used terrestrial resources such as peat and wood in response to climate changes. Macrofossil analysis was performed on peat monoliths taken from an archaeological site, and pollen analysis was conducted on a peat core extracted from the peaty margin of a nearby lake, located approximately 500 m to the south. By comparing our results with historical and archaeological data, especially with regard to subsistence economies (see for example, BriceBennett, 1977; Kaplan, 1983; Kaplan & Woollett, 2000; Woollett, 2003, 2007, 2010), we tested the hypothesis that changes in environmental conditions and vegetation were triggered mainly by climate. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) to reconstruct local and regional changes in the environment and vegetation on the Dog Island region of Labrador; (2) to determine whether climate was a principal factor involved in those changes;(3) to determine to what extent human activities were also involved in local vegetation changes.Fieldwork for the study was conducted on and in the vicinity of two archaeological sites: the main site was Oakes Bay 1 (HeCg-08) located on Dog Island, and the second was Koliktalik 6 (HdCg-23), located on the island of Koliktalik.