Paleo-Indian Sites in Southwestern Ontario

by Chris Ellis


My archaeological fieldwork and research over the last 25 years has had a major focus on the earliest known sites of human activity in Ontario -- sites left by peoples referred to as Paleo-Indian by archaeologists. Most of these sites date in excess of 10,000 radiocarbon years ago and in terms of the calendar we use today some are as much as 12,500 years old. It has been a privilege to work at, and on archaeological collections from, a number of these sites, usually in conjunction with  Dr. D. Brian Deller. A particular focus has been on Early Paleo-Indian sites which yield the distinctive lanceolate stone projectile tips with fluted or grooved bases. These fluted point sites represent the very first peoples to enter Ontario after the retreat of the glaciers that had covered the landscape during the last ice-age. These peoples were what anthropologists call foragers or hunter-gatherers -- that is, they did not practice agriculture but instead relied on naturally occurring plant and animal foods for subsistence. I provide here some brief overviews of sites along with illustrative material and sources of information on these sites that can be accessed by simply clicking on the site names below. More sites and detail will be added as time permits. A list of pertinent general references on Paleo-Indian in the Great Lakes/Northeastern North America can be accessed by clicking here. Other web pages dealing with Paleo-Indian can be found by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

Early Paleo-Indian (Fluted Point) Sites

(ca. 11,000 to 10,400 radiocarbon years old)

Bolton

Crowfield

Culloden Acres

Ferguson

McLeod

Murphy

Parkhill

Snary

Thedford II

Weed

 

Late Paleo-Indian (Unfluted Lance-Shaped Points)
(ca. 10,400 to 9500 radiocarbon years old)

Caradoc

Heaman

Tedball

Welke-Tonkonoh

 

Acknowledgements: Brian Deller and I gratefully acknowledge the financial support of our research by the: Canada Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Ontario Heritage Foundation; Employment and Immigration Canada; Ontario Corporation 418218; McGill University; Simon Fraser University; Dean of Arts, University of Waterloo; and the Dean of Social Sciences, University of Western Ontario. A number of landowners, volunteers, fieldworkers and academics  have also greatly facilitated our research in numerous ways. These include: Dr. Herb Alexander, Dr. Michael Bisson, Edward Brophey, Barbara Bolton, Charles Bolton, Edwin Bolton, Michelle Bolton, George Connoy, Christine Dodd, Darcy Fallon, Neal Ferris, Bill Fox, Dr. Fumiko Ikawa-Smith, Juliet Garfit, Bruce Gripton, Stephen Harding, Dr. Brian Hayden, Barry Heaman, Ed Heaman, Dr. Matthew Hill, Susan Hoddinott, Dr. Lawrence Jackson, Dr. Paul Karrow, Dr. Roger King, Ian T. Kenyon, Dan Long, Jim MacLeod, Dr. Jock McAndrews, Ed McLeod, Dr. Alan Morgan, Joseph Muller, Richard Murphy, Dr. W. V. V. Pardy, Gerald Samplonious, Dr. Pete Sheppard, Don Simons, Dr. Peter Storck, Glenn Stott, Ron Sutherland, Glen Tedball, Dr. John Tomenchuk, Dr. Bruce Trigger, Dr. Barry Warner, Leroy Weed, Reynold Welke, Frank Wight, Joseph Willaeys, Stan Wortner, Dr. Henry Wright, Bob Young and Dr. William Burton Roosa.


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Pages last updated: June 19, 2006. CJE.