Understanding 19th Century Indigenous River-Portage Travel in Maine and New Brunswick Through Network Analysis

Summary

The indigenous people of northeastern North America utilized the river systems of the continent to form an extensive network of travel and communication. While the riverine system offered the opportunity for local and long-distance connections between communities, the environmental dynamics of the system presented challenges for travelers. The directionality of water flow patterns, coupled with seasonal variations in flow magnitude and water temperature, meant that the difficulty of travel varied across space and changed continuously throughout the year. Understanding the spatial dimensions of this system presents challenges for archaeologists, as its use and accessibility patterns are different than other overland trail systems. This poster draws upon 19th century written sources to recreate the system of portages and waterways that formed travel routes in northern Maine and New Brunswick, and utilizes formal network analysis techniques to explore how this network was spatially organized.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Poster Submission 2017   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 670