Temporal constraints for Holocene geomorphic evolution at an archeological site near Hardisty, east-central Alberta: hunter gatherer interactions with the landscape on the northern Plains

Extended terrestrial geomorphic sequences that host well-dated depositional evidence of early to mid-Holocene human interactions with the physical landscape are relatively scarce on the northern Plains. The paucity of such records hampers studies that aim to examine human adaptations to environmental changes in the region during the Hypsithermal (ca. 9,000–4,500 years ago). Where deposits occur, the absence of well-preserved contemporaneous organic material for radiocarbon dating highlights the need for alternative chronometers. In this study, we present new absolute chronologies from three archaeological sites in an eolian dune landscape in east-central Alberta that we determined using optically stimulated luminescence dating. The results show that between ca. 11,000–2,000 years ago, the local landscape evolved through recurrent episodes of instability, interspersed with periods of soil development. The findings allow us to provide new insights on Holocene landscape evolution in the area and examine adaptations humans made to cope with the Hypsithermal environment, as evidenced by archaeological materials associated with hunting and camping.