Ontario Archaeology Guide

Meadowood, Adena and Middlesex points Early Woodland 1000- 1 B.C.E Hunter gatherers lived in small and medium sized seasonal camps. Societies were becoming more complex, with many bands converging to form large camps in the spring and summer months. Ceremonial burial mounds were constructed during this era, that seemed to have been triggered by the death of key or important people. These mounds indicate a hierarchy was developing within bands and camps, possibly related to control of scarce resources. Trade networks were also becoming increasingly extensive. Early Woodland people hunted deer, small game, fished from lakes and rivers, and collected nuts, wild rice and berries. Simple ceramics technology was adopted at this time. Typical sites range from small lithic scatters to sites that indicate longer term occupation with pit features and post holes. Trapezoidal slate gorget- a pendant worn around the neck- this type of artifact would likely be found in a burial context “Pop-eye” birdstone- made of ground polished banded slate and perhaps used as an atlatl weight Early Woodland vessel- ceramics are thick, made from coil or slab construction with a pointed base, usually undecorated, although textured with cord-wrapped paddles on exterior and interior