MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
What does Marine Micropalaeontology have to do with Ancient
Indians living off the coast of British Columbia?
Well, in the Montague Harbour area of B.C. some palaeontologists have come
up with an interesting concept. They have been analyzing foraminiferal faunal
changes within a stratigraphic section recovered during underwater excavations
at Montague Harbour to determine sea-level changes and how they affected
the areal distribution of Amerindian types in the area.
The sea-level changes they are interested in occurred during the Wisconsinan
and involve a complex interaction between eustatic, isostatic and tectonic
changes. The eustatic(world-wide) sea-level was approximately 100m lower
than present during the Wisconsinan glacial maximum, but rose rapidly during
deglaciation(Late Wisconsinan). Isostatic changes also played a significant
role, with the retreat of the ice sheet during the L. Wisconsinan, isostatic
rebound occurred which resulted in regional sea-level rise.
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