Geochemical analysis of Onondaga Chert and implications for studies of pre-contact mobility and settlement patterns in southern Ontario, Canada

The Archaic Period (8,000 BC to 1,000 BC) is the longest occupation of the Niagara Peninsula in southern Ontario, but the least understood and studied. Approximately 1,000 previously unknown archaeological and extraction sites have been identified in this region, mainly in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties. The proposed research project will use a combination of analytical techniques and quantitative methods to analyze chert stone tools and geologic samples to identify a chemical signature to trace the tools to an original bedrock source. The signature will also be used to trace the mobility patterns of Archaic hunter-gatherers as they moved away from these chert sources.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lee A. Groat;John Greenough

Student:

Partner:

FRS Inc.

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: