Initial Shield Woodland

North Americahunter-gatherers

Map
expand_more Description

The Initial Shield Woodland tradition (2150 - 600 BP), also known as the Laurel culture or tradition, is almost entirely distributed within the southern and western portions of the vast geological region of the Canadian or Laurentian Shield, including parts of the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, and the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A great majority of the Laurel sites are small and thinly distributed. Almost all occupations are located on lake shores or river banks. The archaeological record is difficult to decode into social terms, nevertheless, it does suggest small family groups exploiting several places during seasonal rounds.

Identifier
Region
  • North America
Subregion
  • Eastern Woodlands
Subsistence Type
  • hunter-gatherers
Samples
Countries
  • Canada
  • United States