This presentation is based on the book titled "The First Peoples of the Northeast" by Esther K. Braun and David P. Braun. Presented by the Massachusetts Archaeological Society Robbins Museum of Archaeology, 17 Jackson Street, P.O. Box 700, Middleborough, MA 02346. www.massarchaeology.org

1. “This presentation is
based on the abovenamed book.”

2. The Northeast: ca.22,000 to 18,000 BP
• Wisconsinian ice
sheet
• Ice – over 1 mile thick
in Eastern MA
• Land depressed by
weight of ice
• Water bound in ice
form
• Sea level 200 ft lower

3. ca.18,000 to 13,000 BP
by 15,000 BP
by 14,000 BP
by 13,000 BP
• Environment changing with the recession of the glaciers.
• Glacial lakes: Lake Hitchcock, Lake Taunton, Lake Cape
Cod, etc.

4. ca.13,000 to 12,000 BP
• Ice melting – water
level rising and land
rebounding
• Champlain Sea
• Land form – Tundra
treeless plains north
of MA, forest to the
south, mainly pine,
spruce

5. Mammoths and Mastodons
•
•
•
Mammoths – Grazers, up to 14 feet
tall and 8 tons
Mastodons – Browsers, up to 9 feet
tall and 5 tons
Modern elephant – up to 13 feet tall
and 7 tons
Mammoth
Mastodon

6. Angus, Nebraska (1931) – 14 feet
Photograph from the Mammoth Trumpet

7. Paleo: ca.13,000 to 9,000 BP
• Oldest known site in
the Northeast: in
northern Maine ca.
12,700 BP
• Small bands, 10 to 15
people, frequently
moving their camps
• Preference for high
quality stone from
exotic sources

8. Paleo dwelling
Adkins Site - Maine

9. An Important Paleo Site

10. Paleo Tools

11. Early Archaic: ca. 9,000 – 8,000 BP
• Environment still
evolving
• Hotter and drier than
today
• Sites typically are
found by navigable
bodies of water

12. A new weapon – the Atl - Atl

13. Early Archaic Tools

14. Middle Archaic: ca. 8,000 – 6,000 BP
• Vegetation similar to
today
• Seasonal camps
revisited
• Widespread
populations in this
area for the first time
• Fishing tools more
prominent

15. Middle Archaic Seasonal Life

16. Middle Archaic Tools

17. Food Animals ca. 8,000 BP

18. Late Archaic: ca. 6,000 – 3,700 BP
• Climactic optimum
• Population increase in
the Northeast with
greater dispersal
• Larger camp sizes
• Quartz much more
prominent in tool
manufacturing

19. Boylston Street Fish Weir
ca. 5000 – 3000 BP 40,000 to 60,000 stakes

20. Late Archaic Tools

21. Transitional Archaic: ca. 3,700 – 2,700 BP
• New cultural influences
in the Northeast
• Ceremonialism
increases
• Environmental
fluctuations
• Ceramic & steatite
bowls used during the
period

22. Steatite - Soapstone

23. Transitional Archaic Tools

24. Early Woodland: ca. 2,700 – 2,000 BP
• Probable population
decline, fewer sites
• Environmental
conditions less erratic
• Coastline stabilizes
• Less ceremonialism
• Small Stemmed
points continue (from
the Late Archaic)

25. Early Woodland Tools

26. Middle Woodland: ca. 2,000 – 1,200 BP
• Introduction of the
bow and arrow
• Population increase
• Trade networks for
exotic tool stone
(jasper, hornfels, etc.)
• Decorated pottery

27. Middle Woodland Tools

28. Late Woodland: ca. 1,200 – 500 BP
• Agriculture fuels
population growth,
density highest since
Late Archaic
• Modern tribal groups,
some at the chiefdom
level, appear
• Tribal territories form
in river basins
• Less variety in point
types

29. Wigwams (wetus)

30. Agriculture
The Three Sisters (Maize, Beans, and Squash)

31. Late Woodland Tools

32. Contact: 1498 – 1619 A.D.
• 1524 Verrazano
spends 2 weeks in
Narragansett Bay
• Epidemics:
Samuel de Champlain 1605 Map
of Plymouth / Duxbury Harbor
– 1616 to 1619
– 1633
– 90% mortality in
Southeastern MA

33. Contact Period Artifacts

35. OUR PURPOSE
To stimulate the study of archaeology and
Native American cultural history, especially in
Massachusetts, and serve as a bond between
students of archaeology.
To foster public understanding through
educational programs
To promote scientific research, careful, welldirected archaeological activity and the
conservation of sites, data, and artifacts
To seek to prevent the collection of specimens
for commercial purposes.

36. Facts
Founded in 1939
Excavated landmark sites
such as Bull Brook, Titicut
and Wapanucket
Built an impressive
collection of over 150,000
artifacts spanning 11,000
years of history

37. Educational Programs
School groups
Scouts
Adults
– Programs designed to
instruct people in the
lifeways of the first
Americans.

38. Lectures
Annual and SemiAnnual Meeting
Speakers Program
Seasonal Lecture
Series
– Professional and
avocational archaeologists
discuss current topics in
the study of the history of
the first people of New
England.

39. Publications
Books and Pamphlets

40. Chapters
Andover
Greenfield
Worcester
Plymouth

41. The Robbins Museum of
Archaeology
Dedicated to the Native Cultures of New England

42. The Museum
4,550 square feet of display space
More than 4,500 artifacts on display, some
are over 10,000 years old
Native American portrait gallery
Research library
Gift shop

43. The Doyle Collection
of Native American Dolls

44. Diorama of a 4,400 year old
Native American Village

45. Mishoon

46. Walk Through Time
11,000 years of people in the Northeast

47. Massachusetts Archaeological Society
Robbins Museum of Archaeology
17 Jackson Street
P.O. Box 700
Middleborough, MA 02346
Telephone #508-947-9005
e-mail: info@massarchaeology.org
Website: www.massarchaeology.org
Museum Hours:
Wednesday: 10:00AM - 4:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 2:00PM