Fish and complexity: faunal analysis at the shell midden component of site DGRV-006, Galiano Island, B.C.

Justin Ray Hopt

Studies of the development of social complexity and inequality on the Northwest Coast have focused on the inter-connectedness of subsistence practices and social changes. Several early studies proposed a linear model for the development of complexity, where increasingly complex social relations were accompanied by shifts in subsistence activities. These models hypothesize that a peak in complex social relationships was paired with a specialized salmon economy in the Marpole Period (2500-1000 BP), with a change in social relationships accompanied by a more diverse fishing strategy in the Late Period (1000 BP-contact). Close scrutiny of the empirical data used to support this linear complexity model has prompted calls for a more nuanced approach to understanding the basis for Northwest Coast complexity. For example, many of the originally perceived changes in subsistence may actually be attributed to changes in environmental productivity. Despite such critiques, these models offer a frame of reference against which patterning in faunal assemblages can be evaluated, illuminating the ways in which we might better explore the relationships between socio-cultural shifts and subsistence strategies. In this study, faunal remains from the shell midden component of site DgRv-006 are examined. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the age of the midden deposits overlap with both a Late Period plankhouse at DgRv-006, and site DgRv-003, a nearby Marpole-age plankhouse village. The shift in subsistence posited to occur between the Marpole and Late Period in the linear model should be evident within the midden deposits, allowing us to directly address the connection between social and subsistence changes for this important location over the long term. Results of the analyses undertaken in this study do not support salmon specialization in the Marpole faunal assemblage, and fish remains overall show a consistent diverse pattern in both time periods, indicating that social changes and subsistence shifts may not be as closely correlated as past models have posited. This study also explores several methodological issues related to faunal analyses from shell midden contexts, including the use of bulk samples for correcting sample counts, emphasizing proper quantification techniques, and the use of correspondence analysis to address shell midden life histories.

Fish and complexity: faunal analysis at the shell midden component of site DGRV-006, Galiano Island, B.C.

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