Middle and Late Paleoindian Adaptation to the Landscapes of Southeastern Québec

An updated radiocarbon-based ice margin chronology for the last deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex

“…In addition, the 12 ka ice margin is shown at a readvance position in the Connecticut Valley (Thompson et al, 2017) and is extended between 10 km to 60 km southward into the Champlain Valley and surrounding areas to better reflect evidence of the persistence of ice in that region (Fig. 9; Chapdelaine and Richard, 2017).…”

“…9). The updated 11.5 ka ice margin in this area is drawn after Chapdelaine Page 35 of 90 and Richard (2017); this ice front occupied the Maine-Quebec boundary, corresponding to the so-called Frontier Moraine (see: Parent and Occhietti, 1999). From recent work on the northern side of the St. Lawrence lower estuary, downstream the Saguenay Fjord (Occhietti et al, 2015), the coast of the upper part of the lower estuary was deglaciated and inundated by Goldthwait Sea waters by 11.3 ka until the Younger Dryas re-advance.…”

The origin of smectite in the soil of the Kruger 2 archaeological site, Brompton (Québec), Canada

“…The correlative ashes were produced some 10,000 years cal BP. At that time, the climate was cold and the vegetation ranged from open spruce woodland to a closed fir forest (Chapdelaine & Richard, ). This environment would have allowed for an OM layer to slowly build up on top of ashes and for water to percolate into the soils for some months each year.…”

“…The Kruger‐2 (BiEx‐23) site (45°29′N; 71°57′W) at Brompton, near Sherbrooke, is located on a terrace that stands between 138 and 139 m asl (Figure ). It is situated about 10 m above the nearby Saint‐François River and is not flooded in the spring (Chapdelaine & Richard, ). The region was deglaciated around 13 200 cal BP.…”

“…Anne‐Varney that has a straight base, parallel sides, and collateral flaking. The presence of these two Plano point types raise the question of dating this cultural episode in the Northeast because they are considered to belong to two distinct phases of the Late Paleoindian period (Bradley, Spiess, Boisvert, & Boudreau, ; Chapdelaine & Richard, ; Lothrop, Lowery, Spiess, & Ellis, ). The early phase is associated with the Agate Basin type and is hypothesized to date from 11,300 to 10,800 cal BP, whereas the later phase, which occurred from 10,800 to 10,000 cal BP, is linked to the Ste.…”