Where Were All of the Coastally Adapted People During the Middle Archaic Period in Georgia, USA?

摘要

A dramatic increase in the number of sites, compared to previous periods, has been noted for the Late Archaic (4200-3100 BP) period on the Georgia coast. This presumably larger and more sedentary population has been attributed to sea-level rise and the establishment of the marsh-estuarine system and its resources. To assess this idea, and to understand the conditions prior to the explosion of Late Archaic sites on the coast, a model of sea-level history and attendant landscape changes leading up to the Late Archaic period is created for McIntosh County, Georgia, USA. According to the model, conditions were sufficient for marsh formation prior to the Late Archaic period, suggesting that terminal Middle Archaic (~5000 cal BP) populations should have been established on the coast of Georgia. The fact that no sites dating to this period have been found further suggests that the explosion of Late Archaic period sites in the coastal zone of Georgia may have been due to a colonizing group of people who migrated in from another area.