Abstract

The barrenlands of the Keewatin District northwest of Hudson Bay, exhibit a complex prehistory which includes five distinct archaeological traditions: Palaeo-Indian, Archaic, Pre-Dorset, Taltheilei and Caribou Inuit. People of all traditions shared an economic focus on caribou; which provided not only food, but also the skins, antler, bone and sinew which were required for clothing, shelter, and subsistence technologies. Investigations near Baker Lake during the 1988 and 1989 field seasons have yielded significant new components to the known site distributions of the Taltheilei (Dene) and Caribou Inuit traditions. Settlement patterns associated with these two populations indicate major distinctions between their respective caribou procurement systems. These distinctions are interpreted here in terms of technological, environmental and social factors which affect the mobility and spatial distribution of northern hunter-gatherers. This study also reveals potential inadequacies in previous archaeological survey strategies in the barrenlands.