Investigation II

Reading the Wabanaki Landscape

What features of Cushing's shoreline would have drawn Wabanaki communities back across generations?

[HC]High-Confidence Inference

Historical Background

The Casco Bay islands sit within the Wabanaki homeland. Repeated use of specific coves and terraces produced shell deposits and cultural landscapes that persist today.

Landscape Analysis

Sheltered coves paired with raised, dry terraces and short carries to freshwater are consistent with seasonal camps documented across coastal Maine.

Field Objectives

·Identify raised terraces above modern high tide.
·Locate freshwater within short carry of the shoreline.
·Observe eroding scarps for shell without disturbing them.

Expected Evidence

·Shell midden fragments in eroding banks.
·Terrace geometry inconsistent with post-contact grading.

Counterarguments

·Erosion and later resort-era grading obscure pre-contact surfaces.

Open Research Questions

·Which terraces best match the pattern of documented Wabanaki camps?
·How should observations be shared with Wabanaki communities?

Field Sites

Spring Cove Shoreline Terraces

Pre-contact · 10,000+ ya

Sources

[1] Bourque, B. (2001). Twelve Thousand Years: American Indians in Maine.

All investigations

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