An Ethnoarchaeological Approach to the Seasonality of Historic Cree Sites in Central Québec

Abstract

Determining site seasonality in the eastern Canadian Subarctic is crucial to the interpretation of settlement patterns of both prehistoric and modern hunters and gatherers. Ethnoarchaeology provides a conceptual framework through which ethnographic informants are used to develop an archaeological model of site seasonality for recent historic sites. This research has led to the development of an hypothesis that structure form, hearth type, and floor preparation can be used to predict site seasonality.

Key words: ethnoarchaeology, Cree, Naskapi, Montagnais, land use, structure types