The Shoreline as a Bridge, Not a Boundary: Cognitive Maritime Landscapes of Lake Ontario

Abstract

One aspect of human consciousness is the ability to perceive patterns beyond the immediate environment and to identify trends in landscape and culture that extend beyond the immediate sphere. This ability allows humans to react effectively to new experiences, and allows for broader anthropological interpretation of the archaeological and historical records. Similarly, many human actions are founded on subconscious perceptions of the surroundings. Some of these perceptions, grounded in human evolution, are nearly pan-human; others grow from cultural traditions, taught by subtle hints and repetitive reinforcement from birth, and are unique to a specific population. Subconscious perceptions of the landscape are not generally explicit in the primary historical record but are accessible through synthesis of archaeological and historical data. Three regional scale trends of human perception that manifest themselves in the historical Lake Ontario littoral landscape are permeable boundaries, danger in the lake, and ephemeral landscapes.