The Besant culture’s food gathering pattern was dominated by bison hunting. They were considered to be one of the most proficient bison hunters to ever inhabit the plains. They are the first cultural group in Saskatchewan to show evidence of pottery use and manufacture. In the classification system used for Saskatchewan Archaeology, the Late Period begins with two important innovations: the widespread use of the bow and arrow and the use of pottery.
| Dates: | 2000 to 1150 yr BP |
| Lithics: | The lithic raw material was frequently Knife River Flint a fine grain chalcedony from North Dakota. Knife River Flint is so common at Besant sites in Saskatchewan that there must have been long distance trade networks. Local lithic materials were used as well. Projectile points were side-notched. |
| Technology: | Larger varieties of Besant projectile points were hafted onto atlatl dart shafts while smaller ones were probably arrow tips. Large bison kill sites show evidence of very successful communal hunting strategies using either natural traps or bison pound constructions. Tipi structures (cone-shaped tents) were used and are characterized in archaeological sites today by stone rings; these rings on stones once held the tipi hide cover in place. Other Besant structures were probably pole frames covered with bark or mats, as indicated by the archaeological evidence of upright postholes. The earliest pottery appears. Conical vessels were constructed with the paddle and anvil technique; in most cases, the paddle was wrapped in cord, leaving impressions on the outside of the vessel. The most common decoration is a row of punctates just below the rim. Along the eastern edge if their territory Besant peoples constructed burial mounds for their dead, but none of these have been identified in Saskatchewan. |
| Distribution: | Throughout Saskatchewan. The most widespread and numerous of any complex in Saskatchewan. |
| Sites: | The Besant culture, now recognized across the Northern Plains, was first identified at the Mortlach site near Moose Jaw in 1955. There are numerous excavated Besant sites in Saskatchewan including campsites (for example, the Garratt site in Moose Jaw, or tipi rings at the Ratigan site near Estevan) and bison pounds (for example, the Fitzgerald site south of Saskatoon). The Besant culture was so prolific and successful that they make up a large part of the sites in Saskatchewan. |
| Environment: | The Scandic Period (1690 to 1100 yr. BP) begins just after the start of Besant. Conditions are generally warmer and drier. Glacial ice stops advancing in the mountains. |
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