Spatial analysis of archaeological sites in Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island (British Columbia)

Initial contact and trade between Europeans and the First Nations of the Northwest Coast created a situation in which precontact ways of life were altered, sometimes radically. Since the ethnographic study of Northwest Coast societies took place some time after the initial contact period, the ethnographic pattern of site use may not be informative regarding settlement patterns prior to European contact. This study attempts to examine the extent and nature of the pre- to post-contact societal changes through the analysis of site patterning. Site pattern is used as a proxy for group environmental and sociopolitical preferences in selecting habitation sites. In order to accomplish this, archaeological and ethnographic sites in the Toquaht First Nation region of Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island, were input into a GIS and analyzed. The computer database of archaeological site locations was supplemented with topographic, hydrographic and natural resource data derived from published maps and ethnographic sources. Results of analysis seem to indicate a subtle shift in settlement pattern from pre- to post-contact periods, with post-contact settlement being located closer to key food resources. The exact timing of this shift is unclear, but may have begun just prior to European contact.