Northeast Subsistence-Settlement Change: A.D. 700 –1300

segment of the terrace that effectively pinches the river
bar into two separate flats. The soil at this locale is a
fine sandy loam overlying heavier clay subsoil with an
overburden of 10 cm of humus. Artifacts from the 2 m
test unit include chert tools, cord-wrapped stick-decorated
pottery, animal remains, and historic European
materials. Two pits contained diagnostic Princess Point
ceramics.
The Forster Site (AgGx-134)
Figure 6.5. Cayuga Bridge excavation, view to south
showing excavation floor after removal of the P2
palaeosol. The dark layer in the profiles immediately
above the excavation floor is P2.
percent of the diagnostic ceramics. Princess Point pottery,
identified on the basis of rim sherd attributes,
comprises the majority of the pottery rims. Although
Meyer is predominantly a Princess Point occupation,
a few artifacts predate the Princess Point and a few
pottery rim fragments belong to the later Ontario
Iroquois Glen Meyer and Uren stages. Two glass
beads typical of later Neutral Iroquois have been
identified from the southern (downriver) portion of
Meyer.
The complex pattern of posts and features make
identification of settlement patterns difficult. One relatively
large stratified feature measures approximately
1.5 by 1 m and is 80 cm deep. Pottery from this pit is
primarily Princess Point, although the upper layers
contain refuse from the Uren stage (ca. A.D. 1275-1325).
Some of the 17 strata consist of only sterile nonoxidized
sand, while other strata are oxidized sand or ash.
Immediately overlying one layer of oxidized sand is a
layer of completely articulated fish skeletons: bass,
perch, drum, and sucker. At the bottom of the feature
was an articulated dog skeleton. One AMS radiocarbon
date has been obtained from a proximal phalanx (Table
6.1). Flotation sample processing and the analysis of
the hundreds of thousands of artifacts from Meyer are
expected to proceed for some time to come. The two
radiocarbon dates from Meyer indicate that the occupation
spans several centuries (Table 6.1).
The Bell Terrace Site (AfGx-125)
The Bell Terrace site is approximately 200 m south of
the Meyer site (Figures 6.2, 6.3). The locale represents a
Forster is a multicomponent site in the town of
Caledonia. It is situated on a terrace overlooking a
point bar; only Early Archaic artifacts are found on the
surface of the bar. Two Late Woodland components are
located on the terrace: an Early Ontario Iroquoian
(Glen Meyer) village and a Princess Point occupation.
These two components appear to be horizontally distinct,
with little overlap.
A salvage project was organized in 1997 under the
direction of Jeff Bursey, because the property owners
planned construction in the area of the Princess Point
component. An excavation area of 148 sq. m revealed a
double-rowed palisade line associated with the Glen
Meyer village, as well as Princess Point post molds and
features. A roughly circular pattern of post molds
measures 6 m in diameter (see Figure 6.9). Inside this
structure are several large post molds that may represent
support posts, and four features. Three features
are stratified and contain Princess Point pottery, as well
as animal and plant remains. The largest pit is roughly
cylindrical measuring 90 cm across and extending 65
cm below the plow zone. In the pit was roughly twothirds
of a medium-sized Princess Point vessel (Figure
6.10). An AMS date of a maize fragment from this feature
dates the pit to the ninth century A.D. (Table 6.1).
Another structure, represented by only a corner of a
wall, was also uncovered in the 1997 excavations (see
Figure 6.9). It may be a small, rectangular structure or
a longhouse. One hearth, several features, and a few
fragments of Princess Point pottery were recovered in
association with this structure.
RECENT INVESTIGATIONS
AT COOTES PARADISE
Our earlier paper (Smith and Crawford 1997, this
volume) reported on work conducted by University of
Toronto undergraduate field schools, directed by
Smith, at the Cootes Paradise marsh in 1995 and 1996
(see also Smith 1997b, in press). Research continued
Chapter 6 Early Late Woodland in Southern Ontario: An Update (1996–2000) 123