The Maritime Archaic tradition was named after the discovery of a 4,000-year-old site at Port au Choix in northwestern Newfoundland. Its name derives from two words: "Archaic", which refers to an ancient pre-agricultural, or hunting and gathering, way of life found throughout eastern North America and "Maritime" for the important role that the sea and its resources played in the lives of Newfoundland and Labrador's first people.

Some of the more interesting Maritime Archaic Indian sites include:

• the L'Anse Amour burial mound in southern Labrador

• the Maritime Archaic Indian site at Nulliak, northern Labrador that has approximately 20 longhouses, some of which are nearly 100 m long

• the massive burial site at Port au Choix

There are more than 600 known Maritime Archaic Indian archaeological sites in the province.  To learn more about the Maritime Archaic Indian, you can go at least two places on the Canadian Museum of Civilization webpage here or here.  On the latter site the Maritime Archaic Indian is known by the name Maritime Culture.  You can also go to the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage webpage to learn about the Maritime Archaic Indian.