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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