Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

Woodland Period
The first use of ceramics marks the Woodland period in northern New England. Many northern
New England archaeologists prefer the term Ceramic Period, rather than Woodland Period.
Although ceramics were present, other typical “Woodland” characteristics such as domesticated
crops (e.g., corn and tobacco) did not play a large part in annual subsistence patterns in this area.
The Woodland period is subdivided into three sub-periods: the Early Woodland period (ca. 2,800
B.P.-1,850 B.P.); the Middle Woodland period (ca. 2,050 B.P.-900 B.P.); and the Late Woodland
period (ca. 900 B.P.-350 B.P.; Thomas, 1994; Bunker, 1994). The transformation into the
Woodland period is distinguished by the development and use of ceramics. The use of ceramic
containers may have influenced settlement patterns due to their capacity for use as food storage
containers in addition to their use for cooking.
The ability to store food made possible more sedentary, long-term settlements and partially offset
the seasonal fluctuation of resources (Petersen and Power, 1985). Ironically, recovery of pottery
from nearly all but the best archaeological contexts in New Hampshire is rare. Much of New
Hampshire’s Woodland period is known from excavation of several deeply stratified sites on the
Merrimack River, such as the Neville site at Amoskeag Falls (Dincauze, 1976), the nearby
Smyth Site (Kenyon, 1981; 1983; 1985), the Eddy Site (Bunker, 1992) Garvin’s Falls (Starbuck,
1983; 1985b), and Seawall’s Falls (Starbuck, 1982; 1983; 1985a). However, on occasion, even
fairly shallow deposits such as those at the Lodge Site in Tilton, New Hampshire (NH-31-6-6)
have yielded significant information (Gengras and Bunker, 1998).
Early Woodland habitation sites often suggest a pond, lake, or riverine orientation. Upland
locations may have been virtually abandoned in favor of more productive alluvial environments
(Thomas, 1994). Large habitation sites appear to be rare during this period. Evidence from
other sites in the Northeast suggests that the absence of these sites might be attributed to a
regional climatic cooling trend that began in about 3,000 B.P. As the climate cooled, forest
composition changed, which may have resulted in lowering the distribution and diversity of
game species. This shift in the resource base may have caused a change in settlement patterns.
If this is correct, “during this period of climatic pressure, families may have remained in small
groups which exploited a diversity of resources throughout the year, so that only small sites were
ever occupied” (Thomas et al., 1981:73). Evidence from these small sites would be scant,
thereby making it difficult to locate habitation sites.
Annual subsistence patterns still included hunting, fishing, and gathering, although
environmental characteristics, and therefore manner of exploitation of the resources, had
changed from that evidenced in the Archaic Period. Faunal remains recovered from the Boucher
site in Vermont suggest that moose, deer, bear, raccoon, beaver, and turkey were exploited
(Thomas, 1994:72). Thomas (1994:72) writes “the season of site occupation and the
environmental characteristics of the territory surrounding any specific [Early Woodland] site
undoubtedly had a great deal to do with types of foods which were available.” Much more
remains to be determined about Early Woodland Period interactions with the local environments.
The presence of Early Woodland sites within the northern border project area however, suggests
that there is potential to encounter additional sites of this age.
Early Woodland archaeology of the Northeast may be better known from burial sites than
habitation sites. Many Early Woodland mortuary sites were accidentally discovered near Lake
Northern Border Activities H-11 July 2012