| Dates: | 1200 to 550 yr BP |
| Lithics: | Projectile points were small and side-notched. |
| Technology: | Although agriculture has been adopted by groups to the south, Saskatchewan groups remain focused on bison hunting. The projectile points were hafted onto arrow shafts. The pottery of this period is called early Old Women's phase, and is characterized by cord-impressed exterior surfaces, globular bodies, definite shoulders narrowing to constricted necks and straight or out-flaring rims. Decoration is often absent, but sometimes rim areas are decorated with cord impressions, incised lines, or a row of punctates. |
| Cultural Groups: | This is the first time period that the archaeological record can, at least tentatively, be associated with particular groups of people. The Saskatchewan archaeological record for this time shows influence from the Woodlands complex to the east, which has been associated with generalized Algonkian speakers, and from the middle Missouri area, thought to represent Siouan-speaking Mandan and Hidatsa. |
| Distribution: | Mainly South and Central Saskatchewan. |
| Sites: | A wide variety of sites including campsites (e.g. Garratt site in Moose Jaw, Sjovold site near Outlook), bison jumps (e.g. Gull Lake site near Gull Lake), and bison pounds (e.g. Estuary bison trap near Estuary, and Tschetter bison trap near Saskatoon). |
| Environment: | The warmer and drier conditions of the Scandic Period (1690 to 1100 yr. BP) were ending just at the start of the Late Side-Notched Series. Following this was the Neo-Atlantic Period (1000 to 760 yr. BP) where conditions continued to be warm but moisture levels increased. The Pacific Period (760 to 410 yr. BP) followed and was characterized by drier conditions. |
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