Two Archaic Structures from Ontario

Continuing the Ontario theme . . .

Ash Rapids East

A 1988 paper by C. S. "Paddy" Reid contains illustrations of several prehistoric structures.  One of those is this structure from the Ash Rapids East site (DjKq-4, Kenora District) identified as an Archaic house.  The focus of the paper (Reid 1988) is largely methodological, and few details are provided about the structures.  This structure appears to have been a shallow basin, defined by the contrast between the basin fill and the surrounding matrix.  No information is given on how the structure was dated (the only entry for the Ash Rapids East site I could find in the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database pertained to a much later Blackduck occupation). A quick search online did not produce any later papers or reports that discuss this structure, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.  If you have more information about this structure, please let me know. I estimate the size of the structure to be about 3.5 x 4m based on the plan map.

Smoothwater Lake

The second Ontario Archaic structure of the day is a possible "tent ring" from the Smoothwater Lake site (CiHd-1) in the Timiskaming District.  The possible structure is described in John Pollock's (1975) M.A. thesis (available online here):

     "Certainly intriguing but hypothetical is a feature of large spaced rocks that may represent a tent ring (Fig. 12).  The large rocks that comprise the ring were plotted on the upper 3-inch level and thence removed, even though several extended into the second 3-inch level.  In hypothesizing this feature, data from all levels were considered and three main criteria were used in reconstructing it.  The rocks are all over 5 inches in diameter, a central hearth is present, and eleven of the seventeen projectile points excavated were concentrated within the rock feature at CiHd-1. These points all pertain to the late Shield Archaic period" (Pollock 1975:51,56).

Pollack (1975:178) estimates the footprint of the structure to have been about 10' x 12' (~ 3.0 x 3.7m).

Above: Figure 9 from Reid (1988:211).  This will be Structure 2232 in the database.

Above: Figure 12 from Pollock (1975:55). This will be Structure 2233 in the database.