Paleoenvironment and the archaeological record at the L'Anse Aux Meadows Site, Newfoundland

Abstract

Archaeological evidence from the marine terrace and fen at the site indicates brief episodic occupation for over 5000 years. Five cultural episodes have been identified, although the site is renowned for its Norse settlement.A fen on the site has provided both artifacts and fossil pollen. Although the pollen spectra are dominated by disturbance taxa, they indicate little or no human impact. Both the archaeological data and the pollen spectra are consistent with brief episodes of occupancy. Relationships between regional environmental changes and the human response are indistinct, although a cool interval after 2500 B.P. coincides with a 1000 year hiatus in occupation.For the Norse period, the pollen record is compatible with the view that L'Anse aux Meadows was a small, short-lived way station

Variability in North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir effects at c. AD 1000

“…It is possible that these conditions were comparable with the present climatic situation, and that the subsequent retraction of settlements, such as the termination of the Greenland and Labrador settlements, was linked to deterioration in environmental conditions (cf. Davis et al, 1988;McGovern, 1991).…”

New horizons at L’Anse aux Meadows

“…The pollen content is notable for tree, shrub, and heath percentages (in particular, Myrica ), which are high in respect to the aspect of the site and previous studies at LAM (1, 9). Apophytes (e.g., Rumex sp.…”

Evidence for European presence in the Americas in ad 1021

“…This layer would almost certainly have been stripped off during water transport, so the possibility of driftwood is effectively discounted 33 . Further, the Norse would have had no need to reclaim deadwood because fresh wood was abundant in the region at the time 13 . Finally, if it were scavenged material, the probability that all three items would exhibit precisely the same amount of inbuilt age would be vanishingly small.…”

“…1 and 2). Extensive field campaigns have been conducted at this UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, and much knowledge has been gained about the settlement and its contemporary environment 2,[13][14][15] (Supplementary Note 1). Evidence has also revealed that L'Anse aux Meadows was a base camp from which other locations, including regions further south, were explored 15 .…”