The Maynard Dig, 1987

Iroquois Settlement

(Don't miss the pictures at the bottom!)

"Where we walk to school each day,

   Indian children used to play-

All about our native land,

Where the shops and houses stand,

And the trees were very tall,

And there were no streets at all

Not a church and not a steeple,

Only woods and Indian people.

Only wigwams on the ground

And at night bears prowling round-

What a different place today

Where we live and work and play!

-from an early reader

Who Were the Iroquois?

The home of the Iroquois was in Southern Ontario.  They were descendants of Archaic and Woodland peoples who lived in Ontario for thousands of years.  There were three groups of Iroquoians-the Hurons from Lake Simcoe area, Petun (Tobacco) around Collingwood and the Neutrals from the Niagara Peninsula.  They were linked together by a common language, Iroquoian, of which there were many dialects. 

Woodland Indian life was nomadic and based on a seasonal cycle of hunting, gathering wild foods and fishing.  

        Peoples of the Longhouse

As the Iroquois developed, their dwellings became longer and housed more families.  These dwellings became known as "longhouses".

They settled mainly around rivers and streams.  Population of the average village was 150-300 families living in 25-50 longhouses.

Longhouses were built by driving saplings into the ground which were bent to form a frame, then covered with bark shingles for the roof and walls.  Large posts inside were for roof supports.  Storage pits were in the centre of the floor, platforms for sleeping were along the sides with storage area beneath.  There were a number of hearths in the centre, each shared by a family on either side.  There were holes in the roof for the smoke to escape.  Smoke flaps shifted according to wind direction.  Storage sheds or porches for firewood and food were at the ends of the houses.  Long houses could be lengthened at either end.  The village headman lived in the longest house.  Meetings and ceremonies were held there.  

One of the largest excavated longhouses in Ontario measures 93.8 metres (303') long and 8.4 metres (27') wide.  After the arrival of the Europeans, the houses became shorter and more compact.

A palisade, usually made of rows of large posts, surrounded the village.  Sometimes there were platforms for a lookout station.  The palisades were repaired with axes of hard rocks such as schist.  After the Europeans arrived, iron axes were used.

Tools, Weapons and Implements

Stone tools made of chert, similiar to flint, chipped or flaked were ideal for arrowheads, knives, drills and scrapers needed for preparing hides and wood.  Stones, such as granite or schist were excellent for axes, adzes and chisels.  These tools were used for grinding, hammering and woodworking.  Bones, teeth, antlers and shells were fashioned into tools, and ornaments as well.  Needles and awls were made by splitting sharpened deer long bones and were used for making clothes.  Deer antlers were used as hammers and punches for flaking chert.  Teeth, such as the incisors of beavers of rodents made ideal chisels and engraving tools.  

Pottery vessels were made by the women.  Distinctive, decorative designs were made by each Iroquois tribe.  Smoking pipes were made by the men.

Agriculture     

Corn was the main staple.  It was ground in a mortar with a wooden pestle and then mixed into stews or soups.  Corn was planted around the villages using a slash and burn technique.  Some corn was kept in reserve outside during the winter in case the house burned, so that there would be seeds for planting.   Women were responsible for the planting, weeding, harvesting, cooking, and storing of corn and other food.  After 10 years, with the soil  exhausted of nutrients and the supply of firewood depleted, the entire village moved to another site.  Beans and squash were introduced around A.D. 1200.  Sunflowers used for oil came into being after A.D. 1300.  

Hunting, fishing and gathering wild plant foods were critical to survival.

Weapons were bows and arrows, tomahawks, and ball -headed clubs.  Warriors wore armour of sticks and reeds and wooden shields.

With the arrival of Champlain in 1615, there were 30,000 Iroquois and by the 1640's there were 12,000.  Diseases and warfare brought the final destruction of the Iroquois.

Maynard-McKeown Site  1987

(A 16th Century St. Lawrence Iroquoian Village Site in Grenville County, Ontario )

This Iroquoian Village was on the Simpson farm now, in 1987, owned by Denis Deacon.  It would dwarf the present Maynard.

On May, 18th, 1987, Dawn Wright and the twelve members of her field crew commenced excavations on this 500 year old site circa A.D. 1500.  Ann and Fraser Carr who joined late in June became regular crew members in July and August.  Later in September when excavations ceased, they worked closely with Dawn Wright to correct and confirm site records before the site was closed.  Amongst the volunteers helping for several days were Don Clunas, Gord Swoger and Marie Stephenson whom you will find in the photos below.

This was truly an exciting, unique adventure working with this excellent Archeological Team headed by Dr. James Pendergast-Director; Dawn Wright-Assistant Director; Gretchen Keenan-Chief Cataloguer and Arnold Feest-Field Supervisor.

Many artifacts were found such as pottery chards, bone needles, awls, harpoons, beaver and bear teeth, stone axes, beads, clay pipes and charred corn.  Soil was taken to study the pollen count.  Dark, round stains could be seen in the ground where posts had been and larger dark spots showing the location of the hearths.

While we were deeply engrossed in the search for artifacts, the Archeologists were mainly interested in deeply studying all aspects of Village Life and why the Iroquois had disappeared. When the white man arrived, there was no sign of them

A large, elaborately, decorated, fragmented cooking pot was found in a seed corn cache.  Inside it was a smaller Huron pot thought to be replicated by a non- Huron potter, perhaps as a symbol of the Hurons being ingested by the Iroquoians for they were at war.

My husband, Fraser was delighted when he found an ancient stone axe.

The highlight of my time spent there was the unearthing of a complete pot.  There was another pot inverted on top of it with articles spilled out over and around it-2 short bone awls, large clay bead, a red iron oxide pebble, fresh water clam shells and two antler hoes.  This was believed to be a ceremonial pot.  This smaller, complete pot had a hole made in it, perhaps to let the spirits out.  Just after the pots with the contents were retrieved from their resting place, the heaven's suddenly broke forth in torrents of rain and booming thunder.  Perhaps the spirits were objecting.  Afterwards a beautiful rainbow appeared.

We had a visit from Grand Chief Michael Mitchell of the Akwesasne Mohawk Band at St. Regis who had provided advice on how to proceed with the dig.  There were several from St. Regis who served as members of the field crew.  

One stipulation was that human burials were not to be excavated.

By the end of August 5000 had visited the site.  Of these, some 2,200 were Grenville County School children.

Compiled by Ann Carr

Credits

 Royal Ontario Museum

The Ottawa Archeologist (Newsletter by Dr. James Pendergast)

Click on the thumbnail prints.

Who Are We  Location  Branch History  Local History  Executive  Membership  Houses  Meetings  Events  Our Ancestors  

Loyalist Cemeteries  Resources  Links  Picture Gallery  Special Items  Projects