New Evidence for Early Woodland Seasonal Adaptation from Southern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Radiocarbon dated features at the newly investigated Dawson Creek site in southern Ontario, Canada, document recurrent Amerindian occupations between the ninth and fifth centuries B.C. Artifactual, botanical, and faunal remains from six hearths evidence consistent fall season visits by task groups using Vinette 1 ceramics. Indicated reliance on nut-collecting and deer-hunting is duplicated at small Early Woodland sites elsewhere in Ontario and the Great Lakes region. Early thick ceramic types are clearly associated with scheduled seasonal activities. Possible differentiation of artifact assemblages by site function and season underscores the need for more discriminating definition of Early Woodland culture in the Northeast.