Heritage North Predictive Model

If a terrain feature is suitable for subsistence purposes today, it is likely that the feature was utilized for the same purpose one or more times during the last ~10,000 years, i.e., since the demise of the last glacial advance. Therefore, this particular terrain feature is deemed to have predictable potential to contain evidence of past cultural activities. Subsurface shovel testing and visual inspection of natural and construction exposures will verify the validity of this prediction. The predictive model used by Heritage North is provided below.

• In any given area, people would be faced with a number of choices in terms of where they would set up short term or long term camps, where they would gather useable plant re-sources, where they would observe, dispatch and process game, and where they would source suitable lithics for manufacturing tools, etc.
• It is on these selected terrain features that people would predictably stay and subsequently leave evidence of their presence and their activities.
• It is herein argued that if a terrain feature is interpreted to be useful today for a specific hunting and/or camping purpose, it is likely that at some time in the past 10,000-11,000 years, the same feature was selected and utilized for a similar purpose by someone else.
• These features therefore have predictable potential to contain archaeological resources.

The results of past archaeological studies carried out by the writer within the boreal forest indicate archaeological resources are predictably located on the following terrain features:

• micro topographical features, ±2-5m in height, within or immediately adjacent to low lying areas of black spruce muskeg,
• delineated low topographical rises on level well drained terrain,
• slightly higher topographical features, e.g., hummocks, or other glacially derived features present on level terrain,
• all level features associated with any break-in-slope on summit terrain, ridges, terraces and valley slopes.

The predictability of these features to contain archaeological resources are greatly in-creased if one or more of the following variables are also present:

• pine and/or aspen cover indicating the likely present of well drained and drier soil conditions from those in the immediate vicinity,
• the presence of a nearby water source, e.g., streams, water-runs, lakes, sloughs, muskeg, and mineral springs/licks,
• the presence of well-defined ascending or descending slopes that provide channeled routes along which animals would be required to travel,
• linear summit topography that provides easy access between local areas separated by deep valley incisions,
• locations providing views of surrounding areas,
• Locations providing protection from seasonal winds,
• the locality exhibits an inherent spiritual and/or aesthetic quality (subjective interpretation).

Due to local soil conditions and shallow depth of cultural bearing sediments, it is un-common for organic cultural items to be preserved. Consequently, archaeological sites in northeastern British Columbia are usually characterized by stone (lithic) tools and waste flakes (debitage). Fortuitously, a site may also contain faunal material including calcified bone.