The Maritime Woodland Period(2,500-500 years ago)Pottery Arrives
Pottery was first made and used in Nova Scotia approximately 2500 years ago as a result of contact with other areas where it had already developed. Clay was mixed with crushed rock or shell to prevent shrinking and cracking. Pots were formed from coils of clay and were shaped with a stone or a wooden paddle. Designs were often pressed into the soft, wet clay using a variety of techniques and styles. The pots were left to dry and then baked over a fire.
Although only fragments have survived archaeologists can tell Mi'kmaq pots were of a general shape that could be used for cooking and storage. The earliest pots were thin and well made. As time went on, however, they became thicker and of poorer quality. The use of pottery decreased. Birchbark containers, which were much more convenient, had probably replaced fragile and cumbersome pots by the time Europeans arrived.
Shellfish: a changing menuLarge shell middens (garbage dumps) in coastal areas with good clam flats suggest that shellfish had become an important food for the Mi'kmaq 2000 years ago. The shells in shell middens neutralize Nova Scotia's acid soil. This has allowed a variety of ground bone tools to survive. Much of the garbage found at a former living site can provide valuable clues to life in the past.Archaeologists collect and study these clues. Bones, shells and seeds can tell us about the environment people lived in, what they ate and even the time of year they lived there. Stone ToolsMost tools were made by flaking, while axes and adzes were ground. Later in this period projectile points became smaller, and had notched rather than stemmed bases. It is unknown when the bow was introduced, but the very small notched points were probably used to tip arrows. Knives and scrapers did not change much. Waste stone flakes can tell us where and how tools were made and what raw materials were used.Previous Period | Next Period |
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