OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
Field crew.
] [
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Diving The Shield Archaic
- Thread starter Scott A McWilliam
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OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
PS. we also located the aircraft we were looking for when we fount the pot
If this model is correct it will lead to the discovery of additional pre historic sites.
If this model is correct it will lead to the discovery of additional pre historic sites.
cool read thx scott
OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
My story telling efforts led me back to the park and Cultural Resource Management NEPA specialist Seth Depasqual. Seth is an archaeologist and he has been doing very interesting work. I shot the video as mentioned in 1985 at that time I was a Volunteer In Park. Sometimes you wonder about doing free bees and putting time and resources into projects like this for people like parks. For me the answer is definitely yes and I endorse and recommend it for others with similar interests on similar efforts. The following image was pulled from the video I shot and digitally reworked by Paul Brown NPS. It is extremely gratifying to see your work remembered and studied. Thank you.
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Congratulations Scott, a great discovery. I am not really knowledable in archealogy. We survey Lake Huron every year and the government/ universities claim the areas we survey have held native tribes before the levels rose. I have a hard time believing that, but suppose it is possible. Any possible ID or history behind the downed plane? We found a military biplane about ten years ago and it had a interesting story behind it.
OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
The plane is described as a small pontoon float plane which crashed on takeoff from Mott Island July 2, 1935. Despite injuries the pilot and a single passenger were able to get out of the aircraft which broke up quickly and sank. It was subsequently raised, dragged to shore and stripped; the engine and pontoons removed. It was used as a dock for a time and then taken across the channel to it’s present location and sunk to dispose of the air frame.
The situation with the pits and other prehistoric features mentioned may lead to a lot of interesting diving, unfortunately due to licencing we cannot start field work until 2017 and we will be looking for divers interested in working on the project.
The purpose and function of Pukaskwa pits has remained unknown, forgotten by the descendants of their builders. In this model they are maritime harbour features. When regarded this way you quickly come to the conclusion that all pits, pictograph sites etc., at least have the potential of having a submerged component to the site. To date I am only aware of two dives at prehistoric sites in Lake Superior. There is a 175 miles of shoreline to check out.
In part, this may be a result of the way archaeologists organize themselves. Underwater Archaeology and Historical archaeology are lumped together but prehistoric archaeology is a separate thing (different conferences, different publications). These issues will have to be resolved and a multi disciplinary approach adopted for us to understand more about this part of our past.
The situation with the pits and other prehistoric features mentioned may lead to a lot of interesting diving, unfortunately due to licencing we cannot start field work until 2017 and we will be looking for divers interested in working on the project.
The purpose and function of Pukaskwa pits has remained unknown, forgotten by the descendants of their builders. In this model they are maritime harbour features. When regarded this way you quickly come to the conclusion that all pits, pictograph sites etc., at least have the potential of having a submerged component to the site. To date I am only aware of two dives at prehistoric sites in Lake Superior. There is a 175 miles of shoreline to check out.
In part, this may be a result of the way archaeologists organize themselves. Underwater Archaeology and Historical archaeology are lumped together but prehistoric archaeology is a separate thing (different conferences, different publications). These issues will have to be resolved and a multi disciplinary approach adopted for us to understand more about this part of our past.
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ljpm
Contributor
Cool Read!
Will you be looking for volunteer divers?
What kind of dive experience will you be looking for and what kind of time requirement?
Will you be looking for volunteer divers?
What kind of dive experience will you be looking for and what kind of time requirement?
OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
It is very early to even be discussing field work. There is a smarter Scott, Dr. Scott Hamilton professor of archaeology Lakehead university. He has also been studying Pukaskwa Pits and it would be a God send to have that kind of talent at the helm. Also, as an underwater archaeologist it has been many years since I have done any dirt archaeology in years (my peers from Mac call me no knees McWilliam) it is a very large undertaking.
I will begin mapping out high probability search areas.
I will begin mapping out high probability search areas.
This is very interesting material. I'm most familiar with Eastern Woodland original people, but I agree that a great many assumptions need to be revised.
If this is being submitted for publication I'd use spell check very carefully. It's 'remiss' not "remise", and 'routes' not "routs".. 'Although speculative' would be much better than "While speculation", and there are other examples of awkward syntax and slightly inappropriate wording.
This in no way detracts from the substance of the material, but careful editing is needed before any submissions.
If this is being submitted for publication I'd use spell check very carefully. It's 'remiss' not "remise", and 'routes' not "routs".. 'Although speculative' would be much better than "While speculation", and there are other examples of awkward syntax and slightly inappropriate wording.
This in no way detracts from the substance of the material, but careful editing is needed before any submissions.
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OP
Scott A McWilliam
Contributor
Absolutely not for any kind of academic publication.
After visiting many sites I began to think they function as the seasonally built and utilized ice houses back in 1986. These features occur at places like the mouth of the Pick River. River mouths often are sites for at least seasonal habitation sites that could exploit seasonal resources like the smelt run. It is not difficult to envision the pit that is located there being filled with a layer of ice and a ton of smelts and another ton of ice. A large frozen food supply until July. Canoes greatly increase the mobility and range of the hunters so river mouths are a common place for habitation site.
Other pit sites are on places were there is a steep incline were the camp sites are not optimal due to the grade or rocks. Not the place you would want to have any kind of seasonally utilized camp site or resources. I had started to write on the subject back in January and let it slip to the back burner. I was sitting around a campfire and thinking about the pits and how they tied into copper mining at Isle Royale. These old copper culture people occupied an area that is in both the United States and Canada.
This cold pit trick was picked up from the “locals” by southern people engaged in long distance canoe travel for the purpose of trade, mining and other site specific activities. An area with an occurrence of flints, jasper taconite, cherts may have also been mind for projectile points etc.
This region is a marginal area where the forest shifts from Great Lakes Saint Lawrence forest to Boreal forest. Different environments provide different natural resources that can be utilized and traded. Like all parents they wanted the best life for there children, and for them to have a better life than the one they had. These trading resource utilization trips was a way to provide life’s little extras for the wife and kids and to gain wealth and social status.
Some archaeologist would never consider publishing in a form like this or working with sport divers on a project like this and to put your “splat” version on a website academic suicide. I am long removed from school and there are many intelligent people who read this site. Lets face it, the one thing you can rely on in a dive web site is that people will be more than happy to point out the errors of your ways.
As I specialized in underwater archaeology which in the great lakes is usually historical archaeology this is similar to having your plumber come up from the basement and handing you a bill for electrical work. There is a certain logic to this model that I find irresistible. We are awaiting additional media material and about a third of the way through a more formal paper. Please do not be shy about sending me a pm on typos. It is kind of funny when someone writes a paper on prehistoric native North Americans and misspells the word “canoe.”
Putting it all together like this is something that you only do once in a lifetime. It is a difficult spot to be in. Many of the provinces early archaeologists, Dr. William Fox, Dr. K. C. Dawson and many other archaeologist have looked at these sites and they have no idea what they were for. Floating this model requires full extension of the neck and no matter what you do when you stumble onto something far better minds failed to see you can expect that your thinking is going to attract a little attention. The simple truth is, they look and do not find on land and we look and do find underwater and I do not have a large enough sampling frame to speak definitively. That is for the report after the field work not the hypothesis. It should be a fun ride.
I tend to look on the bright side of my life, no one has suggested Pukaskwa pits were landing sites left by ancient extra terrestrial assonants (at least not yet), it is all gravy, life's good it makes sense. One of the main draw backs to the “I just woke up all magical and ****” approach to archaeological theory is you can never be sure exactly what the magic to **** ratio is. Trust me this is as good a place as any to find out. We continue to write a formal paper.
After visiting many sites I began to think they function as the seasonally built and utilized ice houses back in 1986. These features occur at places like the mouth of the Pick River. River mouths often are sites for at least seasonal habitation sites that could exploit seasonal resources like the smelt run. It is not difficult to envision the pit that is located there being filled with a layer of ice and a ton of smelts and another ton of ice. A large frozen food supply until July. Canoes greatly increase the mobility and range of the hunters so river mouths are a common place for habitation site.
Other pit sites are on places were there is a steep incline were the camp sites are not optimal due to the grade or rocks. Not the place you would want to have any kind of seasonally utilized camp site or resources. I had started to write on the subject back in January and let it slip to the back burner. I was sitting around a campfire and thinking about the pits and how they tied into copper mining at Isle Royale. These old copper culture people occupied an area that is in both the United States and Canada.
This cold pit trick was picked up from the “locals” by southern people engaged in long distance canoe travel for the purpose of trade, mining and other site specific activities. An area with an occurrence of flints, jasper taconite, cherts may have also been mind for projectile points etc.
This region is a marginal area where the forest shifts from Great Lakes Saint Lawrence forest to Boreal forest. Different environments provide different natural resources that can be utilized and traded. Like all parents they wanted the best life for there children, and for them to have a better life than the one they had. These trading resource utilization trips was a way to provide life’s little extras for the wife and kids and to gain wealth and social status.
Some archaeologist would never consider publishing in a form like this or working with sport divers on a project like this and to put your “splat” version on a website academic suicide. I am long removed from school and there are many intelligent people who read this site. Lets face it, the one thing you can rely on in a dive web site is that people will be more than happy to point out the errors of your ways.
As I specialized in underwater archaeology which in the great lakes is usually historical archaeology this is similar to having your plumber come up from the basement and handing you a bill for electrical work. There is a certain logic to this model that I find irresistible. We are awaiting additional media material and about a third of the way through a more formal paper. Please do not be shy about sending me a pm on typos. It is kind of funny when someone writes a paper on prehistoric native North Americans and misspells the word “canoe.”
Putting it all together like this is something that you only do once in a lifetime. It is a difficult spot to be in. Many of the provinces early archaeologists, Dr. William Fox, Dr. K. C. Dawson and many other archaeologist have looked at these sites and they have no idea what they were for. Floating this model requires full extension of the neck and no matter what you do when you stumble onto something far better minds failed to see you can expect that your thinking is going to attract a little attention. The simple truth is, they look and do not find on land and we look and do find underwater and I do not have a large enough sampling frame to speak definitively. That is for the report after the field work not the hypothesis. It should be a fun ride.
I tend to look on the bright side of my life, no one has suggested Pukaskwa pits were landing sites left by ancient extra terrestrial assonants (at least not yet), it is all gravy, life's good it makes sense. One of the main draw backs to the “I just woke up all magical and ****” approach to archaeological theory is you can never be sure exactly what the magic to **** ratio is. Trust me this is as good a place as any to find out. We continue to write a formal paper.
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