Abstract

Located on the northeastern coast of the island of Newfoundland, the Dorset Palaeoeskimo occupation of Shelley Garden is interpreted as a warm weather habitation/workshop site on the basis of its association with the Fleur de Lys soapstone quarry and its inner coastal location. As a large inner coastal habitation site, Shelley Garden is somewhat of an archaeological anomaly that can be tied to its use with the soapstone quarry. It is argued, however, that Shelley Garden also served as a large warm weather base camp. Although locations for warm weather Dorset occupations are suggested in models for Dorset subsistence and settlement on the island of Newfoundland, they are rarely demonstrated archaeologically. In contrast, to large outer coastal Dorset habitation sites that are associated with the acquisition of harp seals, it is proposed that the location large inner coastal warm weather Dorset sites are strategically located relative to the acquisition of more than a single important resource.