Papers by Samantha Walker
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2020
Remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) thermography is one of the least utilized remote-sensing methods ... more Remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) thermography is one of the least utilized remote-sensing methods in archaeology, yet it has great potential for visualizing subsurface archaeological features. Given the logistic constraints of remote fieldwork, arctic archaeologists have much to gain from this portable and effective remote-sensing application. This paper presents a novel methodological approach for the collection, processing, and analysis of RPA thermal imagery in the Canadian High Arctic that accounts for the unique environmental and logistic challenges of RPA applications in polar regions. The development of this approach is based on a case study of two Pre-Inuit (4500-1000 B.P.) archaeological sites from the Foxe Basin region, Nunavut. The presented workflow demonstrates the effectiveness of RPA ther-mography in archaeological feature detection in an Arctic-tundra setting. Thermal detection of several previously unidentified subsurface features in Foxe Basin suggest that surface feature visibility is lower than previously anticipated, calling attention to potential judgemental biases in pedestrian archaeological surveys in Arctic contexts. Based on the utility of low-altitude thermography for visualizing the internal structures of Tuniit dwellings, this paper proposes that thermography facilitates archaeological spatial analysis beyond feature prospection. RPA thermography is a non-destructive and economic remote-sensing solution to some of the persistent logistic challenges to fieldwork in remote locations that often inhibit large-scale archaeological analyses not only in the Canadian Arctic, but remote Arctic-Alpine regions worldwide.
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Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019
Hunter-gatherer mortuary practices identified in the Trent Valley region, ON are highly patterned... more Hunter-gatherer mortuary practices identified in the Trent Valley region, ON are highly patterned for the Middle
Woodland period (400 BCE-700 CE), but the importance of many of these mortuary sites can be recognized as far
back as the Late Archaic period (2500–1000 BCE). A geospatial modelling approach is used to predict the
distribution of mortuary sites based on ecological factors that may have influenced land use strategies. The
assessment reveals that Late Archaic and Middle Woodland mortuary sites were primarily located near aerobic
wetlands that were likely rich in emergent plant life. The predicted suitably of mineral soil horizons, when
compared with Trent Valley floodplain behaviour, suggests that wild rice may have been a particularly abundant
resource near mortuary sites. The position of wild rice in Anishinaabe traditional stories is discussed to contextualize
its potential early food value to Indigenous occupants of the Trent Valley, prior to the resource’s
documented historic importance. The highly selective positioning of mortuary sites and their continuity within
the Trent Valley region shed light on how ancestral ties to key places were established and maintained in
precolonial hunter-gatherer societies.
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Books by Samantha Walker
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Thesis Chapters by Samantha Walker
Trent University, 2015
The principle aim of this thesis is to evaluate the applicability of the Goldstein/Kelly hypothes... more The principle aim of this thesis is to evaluate the applicability of the Goldstein/Kelly hypothesis, which proposes that hunter-gatherer cemeteries emerge as a product of resource competition, and function to confirm and maintain ancestral ties to critical resources. My evaluation centres on a case study of the earliest known cemeteries of the middle Trent Valley, Ontario. To determine whether these predictions are true, I investigated the ecological context of local wetland-based foraging, and undertook a locational analysis to determine if the placement of cemeteries correlates with environmental characteristics that reflect the presence of valuable resources that are unique to these locations. The analysis reveals that ancient cemeteries in the middle Trent Valley were located near seasonal riparian wetlands, possibly to secure wild rice and the variety of fauna it attracts. Through the integration of paleoecological, archaeological, and ethnographic information for the region, this research finds support for the Goldstein/Kelly hypothesis.
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Papers by Samantha Walker
Woodland period (400 BCE-700 CE), but the importance of many of these mortuary sites can be recognized as far
back as the Late Archaic period (2500–1000 BCE). A geospatial modelling approach is used to predict the
distribution of mortuary sites based on ecological factors that may have influenced land use strategies. The
assessment reveals that Late Archaic and Middle Woodland mortuary sites were primarily located near aerobic
wetlands that were likely rich in emergent plant life. The predicted suitably of mineral soil horizons, when
compared with Trent Valley floodplain behaviour, suggests that wild rice may have been a particularly abundant
resource near mortuary sites. The position of wild rice in Anishinaabe traditional stories is discussed to contextualize
its potential early food value to Indigenous occupants of the Trent Valley, prior to the resource’s
documented historic importance. The highly selective positioning of mortuary sites and their continuity within
the Trent Valley region shed light on how ancestral ties to key places were established and maintained in
precolonial hunter-gatherer societies.
Books by Samantha Walker
Thesis Chapters by Samantha Walker
Woodland period (400 BCE-700 CE), but the importance of many of these mortuary sites can be recognized as far
back as the Late Archaic period (2500–1000 BCE). A geospatial modelling approach is used to predict the
distribution of mortuary sites based on ecological factors that may have influenced land use strategies. The
assessment reveals that Late Archaic and Middle Woodland mortuary sites were primarily located near aerobic
wetlands that were likely rich in emergent plant life. The predicted suitably of mineral soil horizons, when
compared with Trent Valley floodplain behaviour, suggests that wild rice may have been a particularly abundant
resource near mortuary sites. The position of wild rice in Anishinaabe traditional stories is discussed to contextualize
its potential early food value to Indigenous occupants of the Trent Valley, prior to the resource’s
documented historic importance. The highly selective positioning of mortuary sites and their continuity within
the Trent Valley region shed light on how ancestral ties to key places were established and maintained in
precolonial hunter-gatherer societies.