Spatial Data Analysis of Artifacts Redeposited by Coastal Erosion

by U.S. Department of the Interior

This study employs a Geographic Information System both in the synthesis of existing paleogeographic information for the study area and in conducting spatial analysis of the artifacts in the beach lag deposit. This analysis made it possible to predict thelocations of the original archaeological sites from which the artifacts were derived and tointerpret those sites in their proper paleoenvironmental context. Furthermore, analysis ofthe attributes of the individual artifacts, such as diagnostic type, function, lithic source material and degree of resharpening, allowed some general conclusions to be drawn about the prehistoric human groups that lived within the study area. Although the present study is concerned with sites that have been disturbed by wave erosion at the coastline, the general methods employed in this study would be useful for analyzing other secondary deposits of artifacts.