Date of Award

7-1979

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Anthropology

Supervisor

William C. Noble

Language

English

Abstract

The Gunby site, excavated during the summer and fall of 1977, represents a late Pickering village dating to circa 1300-1320 A.D. Ten longhouses, ranging from 10.0 to 45.2 meters in length, lie within a village estimated at 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres). This constitutes the most longhouses uncovered at a Pickering site to date.

Faunal and floral samples from Gunby clearly provide important new information concerning the subsistence and dietary preferences during this middle period of Ontario Iroquois prehistory. Important horticultural evidence indicates the presence of carbonized corn, squash and bean seeds. Also, the faunal sample indicates that hunting of Virginia deer was an important aspect of Gunby subsistence.

The artifact analysis reveals that closer contact existed between the Gunby Pickering peoples and the Glen Meyer villagers to the west than has previously been suggested. The utilization of various Glen Meyer cording techniques on Gunby ceramics illustrates this phenomena.

McMaster University Library


Download

Included in

Anthropology Commons

Share

COinS