Crawford Lake Indian Village Site
Text from the plaque
The first prehistoric village in the eastern woodland area of North America to be accurately dated, this archaeological site has revealed much about Iroquoian agriculture. A study of sediment collected from Crawford Lake in 1971 lead to discovery of the site. A small, deep body of water, this meromictic lake has limited circulation and little oxygen below the 12-metre level, ensuring the preservation of annual deposits of sediment in undisturbed layers called varves. Analysis of their pollen content showed vegetational changes in the area over time and a concentration of corn pollen, dated 1434-59, suggested the existence of an Indian village nearby. In 1973 this site was located. Excavations undertaken here during the following decade confirmed that native agriculturalists contributed substantially to the region's changing environment.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The Region of Halton
The Town of Milton
On Steeles Avenue West, just east of Guelph Line
at the Crawford Lake Conservation Area
[Note: as of July 2018 this plaque is missing]
Also recorded for this place: Milton
N 43 28.243 W 79 57.044
Recorded December 2010. Check current access before visiting.
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Where it stands
Visitors' notes
November 23, 2015
I am a low profile interested person after reading the book about the Iroquois/Huron war at Midland by Birdy or so, one of his three books of different sites about Indian/White interaction. I would like to know if Huron settlement were found this far south and if this settlement shows tri-crop agriculture, corn and which other two plants, which forces the Huron's to change location about every 6 years because the soil gets cooped out. I am interested to find a book that can be got through the Wellington Library about the history. I believed the Iroquois were displaced from the Finger Lakes area in the states but others tell me that the Hurons were a group of the Iroquois. Looking forward to a reply. Rudiger von Massow, Fergus Ontario.
January 15, 2011
mid plaque... 'ensured' not 'insured' [Editor's Response: Fixed. Thanks.]
May 13, 2010
This helped a lot for a homework question. thanks :D
October 13, 2008
Oh I just loved going to Crawford Lake! It was probably one of the best class trips ever!!