Nebulosas

Recently, along the Nebulosas Chain, a string of islands which boasts a dense fog and extraordinary marine life and dots across the the Oceanus Tempestatus from the Digitus Peninsula of Illysium to the shores of Obscurata, four excavations have been undertaken in a bid by Illysium to claim ownership over the isles. While ownership may be impossible for archaeologists to prove, the recovered artifacts and faunal assemblage suggest a strong relationship between subsistence practices and changes in tool technology. Based upon the radiocarbon dates, the absolute date of the volcanic eruption at 3870 ± 40 B.P. as well as the recovered tool kits, I have distinguished between three separate prehistoric periods based upon tool technology:

1. Before Ground Slate Tools (Foggy Bottom, Level 3 at Echinus Bay)
2. Introduction of Non-Toggling Harpoon Head Type/Ground Slate Tools (Level 2 at Echinus Bay, Hecate Beach, Level 2 at Lingula Inlet)
3. Toggling Harpoon Head Type
(Level 1 Lingula Inlet, Level 1 at Echinus Bay)

1. Before Ground Slate Tools:

Beginning with the inland site at Foggy Bottom on the Dygalski Island along the western most chain of the Nebulosas, archaeologists have been able to date a single occupation at 9500 ± 350 B.P. by carbon dating. This site contained large and micro blades of obsidian and chert along with the numerous bifacially worked artifacts such as points, scrapers and end-set points which suggest that this site was occupied by middle stone age hunter-gatherers. However, based upon the sparse faunal assemblage of mostly forgeable sea creatures (i.e. various mollusks: clams, periwinkle shells, sea urchins), I imagine these peoples were less hunter and more gatherers. Next, the earliest site at Echinus Bay on Helios Island, Level 3, which has been carbon dated to 8000 ± 300 B.P, sees a decline in the usage of flaked obsidian and bifacially worked tools and a rise in bone and ivory hooks. The introduction of hooks sees a dramatic