Maritime Archaic Culture (3,500 to 4,000 years ago).
Prehistoric man seems to have grasped very early the potential of the natural resources of the sea. There is archaeological evidence to suggest that, between 6 000 and 7 000 years ago, a fully marine-adapted people occupied the northern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Lake and marine resources, perhaps waterfowl, were major food resources to the Archaic people.
The first widespread evidence of a culture well adapted to exploit both maritime and terrestrial resources is associated with the Maritime Archaic people. Sites of the Archaic people have been discovered from Labrador to New England. One of the best documented sites is at Cow Point, on the shores of Grand Lake in New Brunswick. Shown in the illustration are archaeologists at work shortly after the important discovery was made. The Maritime Archaic people are best known through their elaborate burial cults.
Courtesy: National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada
