Letter From Newfoundland: Homing In On The Red Paint People

Archaeology Magazine ^ | 6-2000 | Angela M.H. Schuster

[blam]

Letter from Newfoundland: Homing in on the Red Paint People

Volume 53 Number 3, May/June 2000
by Angela M.H. Schuster

(Lynda D'Amico)

Port au Choix, Newfoundland--

More than 5,000 years ago, this barren, sea-lashed coast was home to the Maritime Archaic Indians (MAI), who hunted and fished the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland for more than 2,000 years. The first evidence of the Maritime Archaic culture was discovered more than 30 years ago when James A. Tuck of Memorial University of Newfoundland excavated 56 elaborate burials exposed during housing construction on a small promontory at Port au Choix, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence just south of the Strait of Belle Isle.

Buried between 4400 and 3300 B.P., the dead--along with offerings of tools, animal bones, carved animal effigies, and small, white quartz pebbles--were covered in red ochre, earning them the moniker the "Red Paint People." Tool kits contained woodworking implements for building dwellings and watercraft; finely wrought bone and ivory fishhooks, harpoons, and harpoon heads, bone foreshafts; and long, narrow ground slate lances for hunting whale and walrus; and fragments of fish spears, all of which pointed to a lifeway dependent on the deep sea.

Priscilla Renouf points to 5,500-year-old archaeological features. (Angela M.H. Schuster)

In 1997, a team led by Memorial University archaeologist Priscilla Renouf and geomorphologist Trevor Bell found the first-known MAI habitation site. Now known as the Gould Site after the family on whose property it lies, the MAI settlement is spread over ten acres on a broad flat terrace. "This was an idyllic location,"says Renouf. "The site offered a freshwater pond, shelter from the wind, and an excellent view of the ocean."

To date, Renouf and her team have unearthed gouges for woodworking; projectile points; fish spears; cut spruce logs; hearths; pits; hundreds of post holes for dwellings; distinct pairs of small, deep holes that may have once held drying racks for skins, fish, or meat; and, not surprisingly, several deposits of red ochre. The artifacts range in date from 5500 to 3300 B.P.; the earliest finds predate the cemetery by more than 1,000 years. "It's still too early to tell whether the settlement was occupied year-round or seasonally, or just how many people may have lived there." says Renouf. She will return to the field this summer in search of answers.

Angela M.H. Schuster is a senior editor at ARCHAEOLOGY.

[ThanhPhero]

They were definitely native Americans. Every one of the graves discovered was surely that of someone born in America.

[norton]

Enjoyed your home page.

[blam]

Here's an easy explanation for who were the Red Paint People and where they were from.

Archaeologist Says Va. Bolsters Claim On How People Got To America. (Solutrean)

"The Smithsonian archaeologist pursuing the contentious claim that ancient Europeans fleeing the Ice Age settled in America says artifacts unearthed in the Chesapeake Bay region support his theory."

[Boreas]

I don't know. I've ordered it from two different book people before Christmas

When I was in Montreal (over 3 months) last year, I enquired 3 different times about a book that was 'published,' but not in stock, and not able to be ordered. Kind of funny I thought. 2 of the staffers couldn't explain it, but I eventually found an old woman staffer who told me that perhaps the publisher wouldn't let it go because of legal concerns, or perhaps the author wanted to make a few changes. That implied the book hadn't been printed. She shrugged and mumbled something about the book business these days. It didn't seem odd to her. I was in Montreal again in January, and the book was available, but I passed. I'll look for it again one day.

[Boreas]

Here's an easy explanation for who were the Red Paint People and where they were from

I saw that program on satellite TV again last night. Seems quite plausible to me. Heavy ice doesn't stop you, it just slows you down, and makes you change your direction. It also dampens the seas, and dries the air. In many ways, it may have made travel easier. In 1985, here in Newfoundland, we were completely surrounded by heavy ice for months. I flew from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, and there was no open water in the Gulf of St. Lawerence (unusual). Later in the spring, after the ice had melted, the first ever coyotes were noted on the island of Newfoundland. They had crossed from Nova Scotia on the ice (minimum 100 miles). Looks like they are here for good, tearing up the new-born caribou, moose, etc.

[blam]

"They had crossed from Nova Scotia on the ice (minimum 100 miles). Looks like they are here for good, tearing up the new-born caribou, moose, etc."

Think the Caribou will survive?

We made a stop in Halifax once in the early 60's. We had been out in the North Atlantic (submarines) pretending to be a Soviet attacking force. When we would surface and I was the look-out, that was the coldest I've ever been...and, some of the roughest seas too.

[Boreas]

Think the Caribou will survive?

They should survive. They survived wolves until wolves became extinct here (on the island) in the early 1930s. Moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1904 from New Brunswick, and they also survived wolves. Hunters can now kill coyotes when they are hunting caribou, moose, etc. Coyotes are not wolves of course. When coyote populations are low they produce more and more live offspring per female. When populations are high, they produce fewer live offspring. What caribou and moose do vis-a-vis coyotes isn't known here yet, but Wildlife has said it doesn't look disasterous.

...surface and I was the look-out, that was the coldest I've ever been...and, some of the roughest seas too.

I think about those cool seas out there when I see hurricanes down your way. If they head our way, I watch them decrease in strength and breath a sign of relief as they approach us. Just the same, after watching Katrina last year, and reading your posts, I got up in the attic and screwed 33 cross-beams/collar beams to the roof rafters. House is quieter now, as well as stronger.
It never gets really cold here. Most winter days are just below freezing. I have English Oak and Garry Oak (Google that one) growing the back yard. Of course I have Siberian Fir and Siberian Spruce growing too.
This afternoon it was 60F and sunny. I stopped in on a friend, and he was on his lawn mower, making the first cut of the season. I hear you chuckling.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Boreas]

http://www.sjdimond.us/document/2007_Extinct Beothuk.pdf

[tet68]

Regarding the photograph.
All I can say is that is the most frightening
approach to a green I have ever seen.
If that’s 18 I wouldn’t want to see the others.

[Bellflower]

and similar geometric designs of dots and lines that appear on the stone tools of both the North American Red Paint culture and on the tools of European prehistoric cultures could have developed independently of each other.

Just how similar are they? If they are similar to any extent they being developed independently seems quite unlikely.

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 5/09/2006. A re-ping, ping message update.

Thanks blam.

[Squawk 8888]

To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.

Canada Ping!

[Varda]

Love this topic and it’s easy to notice that there seems to be similarities in Europe with some sites.

If it’s not a coincidence, then the culture would have moved from North America to Europe, not the other way around. The Red Paint culture is much older in NA.

[Texan5]

Just out of curiosity-why does that page say “menu” and appear to be one for an Oriental restaurant?

[SunkenCiv]

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree!

[left that other site]

Those are MY ancestors!

:-)

You will note, from my home page, that i now live in Florida. I have seen enough snow to last a lifetime!

[Fred Nerks]

http://www.bcvideo.com/redpaint.html

Archival footage and photographs helps to chronical the events in this film, which is the first in any medium that has synthesized these new discoveries and attempts to draw a picture of the northeastern sea peoples, whom scientists refer to as the Maritime Archaic.

VIDEO:

http://www.bcvideo.com/previewredpaint.html

Preview The Mystery of The Lost Red Paint People