Late prehistory of Point Pelee, Ontario and environs
Abstract
Archaeological field research at Point Pelee in extreme southern Ontario has revealed a unique sequence of prehistoric aboriginal occupations comprising three major multi-component sites spanning nearly a thousand years. This sequence has been subdivided into four temporal periods, commencing in the 6th century A.D. and terminating about the 15th century A.D. This time frame of nearly a thousand years spans the major duration of aboriginal use of Point Pelee. Absolute temporal control is supported by ten radiocarbon determinations from four Point Pelee sites. Most, if not all sites investigated were seasonally occupied and represent a range of settlement types from encampments of perhaps single family size and brief duration, to larger settlements of multiseasonal occupation supporting possibly band-size groups. Direct archaeological evidence for subsistence strategies chiefly emphasizes the exploitation of the abundant natural resources associated with the Point Pelee marsh and forest habitats and, to a much less degree, the resources of Lake Erie. Inferences drawn from Point Pelee botanical and paleobotanical data, specific site locations and ethnographic analogies, further support the use and overwhelming potential of indigenous wild plant resources. These various lines of evidence point to a high probability that the pursuit of specific wild plants may have been the prime motivation for prehistoric utilization of Point Pelee. There is archaeological evidence for the introduction of corn to Point Pelee by the 10th-11th century A.O., however it is believed that this corn was not grown locally. Archaeological evidence for cultural continuity or an indigenous developing tradition(s) is not characteristic of the Point Pelee cultural components. Instead, at least three and perhaps as many as five distinct cultural groups are represented in this sequence. What appears to emerge is a composite of cultural vignettes derived from a number of cultural traditions and in some instances having their roots in distantly separated geographic areas of the Great Lakes region.
Description
Bibliography: p. 156-192.
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Citation
Keenlyside, D. L. (1978). Late prehistory of Point Pelee, Ontario and environs (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/22652