Early Archaic
8000-6000 B. C.
The People
People live in small dispersed nomadic bands that are completely dependent on the natural resources available in their immediate environment. It appears that many sites were in close proximity to the coast and thus when sea level rose most of them were flooded. Therefore, very little is known about the early archaic people outside of what can be learned from the stone artifacts they left behind.
The Climate
Sea level rises ( 30 to 50 ft) as the Wisconsin Ice Age is coming to a close and the last glaciers are retreating north. This change in water level subsequently changes the upstream salinity of rivers. The climate is warmer and drier than it had previously been. Dominant vegetation is transitioning from conifers to pine, oak, beech and hemlock forests as shown by pollen evidence. Also there is a shift from mega- fauna ( mastodon) to smaller game ( deer and elk).
Diet
Crop cultivation technologies have not yet reached the people in the northeast at this time. Instead, they rely on hunting and gathering of resources in their immediate environment. Common food sources are wild game, fish, plants, berries, nuts, bird’s eggs and fruit. Hunting technology consists of spears with stone points that are hafted to a wooden shaft. When food becomes scarce, the people move on to a different location.
