St. John's Harbour 5 (HeCi-30) and an examination of Groswater and Early Dorset relationships in Labrador

In 1981 archaeologist William Fitzhugh reported that excavations of St. John's Harbour 5 (HeCi-30), located in the islands east of Nain, Labrador, had recovered "important data from a house apparently occupied by a late Groswater Dorset group undergoing influence from Early Dorset culture" (Fitzhugh 1981:36). Fitzhugh based this interpretation on artifact style and raw material use he considered atypical for Groswater. In order to assess whether this site is indicative of influence from Early Dorset culture, Groswater and Labrador Early Dorest sites are reviewed to determine if interaction (resulting in influence) occurred between these groups in Labrador overall. To evaluate if interaction took place the site locations, dates, artifacts, raw material use, house styles and subsistence and settlement patterns for all Groswater and Labrador Early Dorset sites in Labrador are reviewed. From this analysis, it is concluded that Groswater and Labrador Early Dorset co-existed during overlapping time periods in the same geographic regions, but utilized unique tool kits and raw materials suggesting little direct interaction (including at the St. John's Harbour Site itself). At the same time, the pattern of site placement for these two groups indicates a partitioning of areas, evidenced especially in the Nain region, resulting in Groswater largely utilizing inner islands and Labrador Early Dorset utilizing the outer islands. This suggests passive interaction, that is, a decision to avoid each other through a division of land use and resources within geographic regions during the same time period.