Dorset plant use at the Port au Port site (DdBq-1), Newfoundland: A contribution to Paleoeskimo paleoethnobotany

This paper aims to expand a small but growing field of Paleoeskimo paleoethnobotany in two ways. First a review is provided of several unpublished student studies focusing on Dorset and Groswaterplant-use by way of analysis of macrobotanical remains recovered from archaeological contexts. Second, new paleoethnobotanical analyses of botanical specimens from a Dorset occupation at the Port au Port site (DdBq-1), western Newfoundland, are presented. Contrary to the notion that northern sites often have poor botanical preservation, a large quantity and diversity of seed remains were recovered. It is hoped that this study will encourage further paleoethnobotany work by providing evidence that Paleoeskimo sites often preserve botanical remains and that analyses of these materials can enhance understanding of human-plant interactions of past northern peoples.