Abstract
An understanding of the function of Phillip’s Garden (EeBi-1) has long been impeded by the complexity and the overlap of the many temporal and physical components of this large archaeological site (Fig. 8.1). Consequently, many questions relating to settlement patterning, site development and house reoccupation have remained unanswered. As there is strong evidence that archaeological remains at Phillip’s Garden represent different occupational events, site functions and various seasons of use (Renouf 1991a:60–62, 1993a:59, Chap. 7), it is apparent that establishing contemporaneity amongst the archaeological features is crucial to understanding the function of the site (Renouf 1991a:62). Hence, the basic methodological question is how to determine which of the houses were occupied simultaneously at any given time (Harp 1976:120). In response to this problem, it was the aim of my initial research (Erwin 1995) to establish the function(s) of Phillip’s Garden by determining how different occupational sequences contributed to the overall archaeological assemblage. As such, it can be argued that a definition of site function can only be derived by separating out the different components of residency and determining what the archaeological patterns should look like for different occupational events.
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to Charles Conway, Memorial University Geography Department, for drafting Figs. 11.1 and 11.2 and also to two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
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Erwin, J.C. (2011). The Changing Nature and Function of Phillip’s Garden: A Diachronic Perspective. In: Renouf, M. (eds) The Cultural Landscapes of Port au Choix. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8324-4_8
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