Prehistoric Land Use on Outer Cape Cod

Preliminary analysis of archaeological survey data indicates that prehistoric land use of coastal southern New England (represented by outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts) was year-round and more diverse than has been suggested by the traditional emphasis on coastal shell middens. Prehistoric settlement seems to have been concentrated mainly in a few locations with large intervening unsettled areas. A stratified random sampling strategy allowed estimates of the relative frequency of different kinds and magnitudes of activities in and between the intensively settled sections. Quantitative analysis of the lithic assemblages and structural characteristics of discovered sites permitted inferences about the kinds and intensity of prehistoric activities.