Attachment to Place: Three-Dimensional Spatial Analysis and Long-Term Land Use at the Stampede Site, DjOn-26

Abstract

Two models of long-term land use, the ecological and contextual models, have been used to explain continuity and change in the patterned use of sites by hunter-gatherers. Recent excavations at the deeply stratified Stampede site (DjOn-26) have revealed remarkable continuity in the use of space throughout the past 8,000 years; however, post-depositional disturbances have resulted in the slumping and displacement of individual paleosols, posing a challenge for artefact associations and inter-paleosol comparison. This thesis will examine the spatial distribution of cultural materials and hearth assemblages from the Stampede site, located in the Cypress Hills, Alberta. Three-dimensional spatial analysis is combined with GIS to correct slumped deposits and refine archaeologically defined levels. Two-dimensional spatial analysis is then applied to investigate the patterning of materials and non-portable features in successive occupations. The results will provide an opportunity to critically evaluate long-term land use models through comparison of the nature and organization of activities during specific occupation phases at the Stampede site.