David W. Black (Professor)
Dr. David Black has taught archaeology at UNB since 1991, and has been Professor of Archaeology since 2001. He served as Chair of the Department of Anthropology from 2003 to 2007. Subsequently, he has been involved in developing the Archaeology Interdepartmental Program, and archaeological teaching and research labs.
Dr. Black has conducted archaeological research in New Brunswick for 30 years. His academic interests include prehistoric archaeology, geoarchaeology, structural and stratigraphic analyses of coastal shell-bearing sites, zooarchaeology and the human ecology of hunter-gatherers adapted to marine shorelines. His master’s and doctoral research projects involved excavations of coastal sites on islands in the Quoddy Region, the traditional territory of the Peskotomuhkatiyik (the Passamaquoddy people).
Since coming to UNB, Dr. Black has been involved in archaeology projects on the Grand Manan Archipelago, and on Deer Island, the Letang Islands, the Bliss Islands and the mainland shores of the Quoddy Region. In addition to his research on pre-contact sites in the Quoddy Region, Dr. Black has excavated an early Loyalist period historic site — the homestead of Lieutenant Samuel Bliss and family — on the Bliss Islands.
Since 1995, Dr. Black has been conducting research into how Native people acquired and used local and exotic lithic materials to make stone tools. The ultimate purpose of this research is to use archaeological distributions of distinctive lithic materials from known sources as proxy data for documenting Native exchange and interaction systems before European contact, and for understanding how these patterns changed through time. This work has centred on the Washademoak Lake Chert Source, in the traditional territory of the Wolastoqiyik (the Maliseet people).
Dr. Black was invited, by the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq in Truro, Nova Scotia, to contribute a chapter on lithic material research to a book that the Confederacy published on the research potential of the Debert Paleoamerican site. More recently, he has collaborated on two other projects in Micmac (Mi’kmaq) traditional territory: the Augustine Mound research being conducted by Dr. Susan Blair (in conjunction with the Metepenagiag Heritage Park) at Red Bank, New Brunswick; and the E’se’get Archaeology Project, being conducted by Dr. Matthew Betts (Canadian Museum of Civilization) at Port Joli, Nova Scotia.
In 2006-2007, the George Frederick Clarke Artifact Collection, one of the largest and best documented avocational archaeology collections in New Brunswick, was donated to UNB by the family of Dr. G.F. Clarke. Since then, Dr. Black has been developing this collection, comprised of 2700 pieces of material culture and associated notes and records, for research, teaching, display and public outreach activities.
Courses Taught:
- ANTH 1303 The Human Past: Archaeological Approaches
- ANTH 2303 Exploring the World of Archaeology
- ANTH 2313 Archaeological History of New Brunswick
- ANTH 3301 Prehistory of North America
- ANTH 4304 Archaeology of Atlantic Canada
- ANTH 4306 Prehistoric Human Ecology
- ANTH 5303 Theory and Method (Archaeology)
Curriculum Vitae (PDF download)
Research:
The George Frederick Clarke Artifact Collection
Archaeology Interdepartmental Program
On-line Publications: (PDF downloads)
- The Cape Enrage Figurine
- A Gouge from Indian Island
- KTMP Artifacts from Maugerville
- The Upsalquitch Harpoon
Pioneers of NB Archaeology: (PDF downloads)
On-line Research Tools: (PDF downloads)
- Distinguishing Carboniferous from Mesozoic Chert toolstones
- Exotic lithics in the Quoddy Region
- Local lithics in the Quoddy Region
Contact Information:
Office: Annex C, Rm. 32-A
Phone: (506) 458-7045
Fax: (506) 453-5071
