The early Woodland period cultures present in midwestern and eastern North America are not present in Saskatchewan. Woodland cultures are characterized by the use of pottery. However, two expressions of the "Middle Woodland" period, known as Laurel and River House, have been found in at sites in Saskatchewan.
| Dates: | Uncertain, the only Laurel date available in Saskatchewan is approximately 950 yr BP. River House is 1220 to 850 yr BP |
| Lithics: | Stone tools associated with Laurel sites include stemmed and notched projectile points. River House is associated with small triangular and side-notched projectile points and small stone celts and adzes (woodworking tools) that were shaped by grinding rather than chipping. |
| Technology: | Laurel and River House are defined by pottery styles. Both styles of pots are conical and were formed by arranging and then smoothing out long coils of clay. Laurel pots were decorated with punctates and dentate impressions around the rim and upper portions of the pots. Some River House pots were similarly decorated, but with cord-wrapped tool impressions rather than dentates; others had impressions made with nets. Laurel Peoples had harpoons and would manufacture tools out of native copper. Small burial mounds were sometimes constructed for their dead. |
| Distribution: | Laurel sites are restricted to eastern Saskatchewan, along the Sturgeon-Weir, Churchill, and Reindeer Rivers. Rainy River sites are located just south of this, from the lower North Saskatchewan River Valley south and east. |
| Sites: | Thirty Laurel sites have been recorded in Saskatchewan; most of these are camp sites, including the Crown Site near Nipawin,. The only dated site in Saskatchewan is the Spruce Rapids site on Amisk Lake. River House site, as well as the Peterson Creek and Crown sites which also have River House components, are all found near Nipawin. |
| Environment: | The warmer and drier conditions of the Scandic Period (1690 to 1100 yr. BP) were ending just at the start of the Laurel Complex. Following this was the Neo-Atlantic Period (1000 to 760 yr. BP) where conditions continued to be warm but moisture levels increased. |
|
|
|