Holocene driftwood incursion to southwestern Victoria Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and its significance to paleoceanography and archaeology

Holocene driftwood is found on postglacial raised beaches of Wollaston peninsula, Victoria Island. The highest driftwood appears on the 12- to 13-m beach, which formed about 4000 yr B.P., and is common on beaches 12-6 m in elevation. The earliest Paleoeskimo dwelling features also occur on the 12- to 13-m beach. Wood increases on the 5- to 6-m beach, which formed about 2000 yr B.P,, and is abundant below that level, Thus, zonation of wood suggests the following hypotheses: (1) that the coastal Mackenzie Current, the source of modern driftwood, did not operate before 4000 yr B.P. and lacked its present vigor or persistence until 2000 yr B.P,; and (2) that the apparent sudden influx of driftwood at 4000 yr B.P. may have provided a fuel resource and (or) may have been related to conditions that enabled first peopling. Radiocarbon ages indicate that (1) the first wood arrived about 4700 yr B.P.; (2) little wood arrived from 4700-2000 yr B.P.; and (3) influx of wood was episodic after 2000 yr B.P, Much of the wood that arrived after 1100 yr B.P. was redistributed by people and scattered on higher beaches. Explanation of the evident correlation between highest wood and highest dwelling features must await archaeological studies. (C) 2000 University of Washington.