Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Anthropology

Supervisor

Timmins, Peter

Abstract

This thesis is an archaeological analysis of the ceramics from the multi-component pre-contact archaeological site BiFw-6, which is located within Leamy Lake Park in Gatineau, QC at the confluence of the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers. BiFw-6 has evidence of human occupation from the Early Woodland through to the Contact period, with a very strong representation during the Middle Woodland period. The analysis of this site through ceramics examines BiFw-6’s existence as a persistent place – a place of continued importance throughout the long-term occupation of a region – and the site’s position within broader regional and cultural contexts. This is achieved through the comparison of BiFw-6’s ceramic assemblages with other archaeological assemblages within a 200 km distance from Leamy Lake Park. The results show that BiFw-6 was a persistent place for pre-contact Indigenous periods where tradition making occurred, particularly through the creation of the Middle Woodland interlocking Kabeshinàn ceramic type and the Kabeshinàn serrated ceramic type.

Summary for Lay Audience

BiFw-6 is one of thirteen multi-component (occupied recurrently) pre-contact Indigenous archaeological sites within Leamy Lake Park in Gatineau, QC. This site, and the larger complex of sites it is associated with, are located at the junction of the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers. This area was favourable for settlement by Indigenous peoples due to its ease of access, the abundance of resources, and the Ottawa, Gatineau, and Rideau Rivers and their tributaries’ connection to a large portion of eastern North America. An analysis focusing on the collection of ceramic artifacts from BiFw-6 was undertaken to better understand the site’s existence as a place of continued importance throughout the long-term occupation of a region. Ceramics were also analysed and compared to other archaeological ceramic collections from sites within 200 km of Leamy Lake Park to consider BiFw-6’s position within the broader regional and cultural contexts. This study found that BiFw-6 was a place of importance that pre-contact peoples returned to over hundreds of years, starting as early as the late Early Woodland period (ca. 2900-2000 years before present) through to the Contact period (ca. 500 before present). The majority of evidence for human occupation at BiFw-6 however occurs during the Middle Woodland period (ca. 2400-1300 before present). The ceramic analysis also showed that peoples at BiFw-6 participated in broad regional cultural ceramic traditions and took part in tradition making through the creation of distinct types of ceramics that are, so far, only associated with the BiFw-6 site.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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