Alicia L Hawkins
University of Toronto, Anthropology, UTM, Faculty Member
- Western University Canada, Anthropology, Adjunctadd
- Anthropology, Zooarchaeology, Archaeometry, Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), Archaeological survey, Iroquoian Archaeology, and 15 moreAterian, North African prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Management, Heritage Management, Lithic Technology, Ontario Archaeology, North American archaeology, Great Lakes Archaeology, Native American Glass Trade Beads, Northeastern North America (Archaeology), Saharan Archaeology, Critical Heritage Studies, Glass Beads, and Archaeology of fishingedit
The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird species in North America. Flocks of these birds witnessed in the early 19th century were so vast that they were said to darken the sky for days as they passed.... more
The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird species in North America. Flocks of these birds witnessed in the early 19th century were so vast that they were said to darken the sky for days as they passed. Early syntheses of passenger pigeon remains in archaeological contexts in the eastern United States, in contrast, found them to be relatively rare in relation to other fowl, leading to the suggestion that the colonial‐era hyper‐abundance of passenger pigeons was a post‐European‐contact phenomenon resulting from contact‐induced demographic and ecological changes. In this paper, we provide new insights into passenger pigeon historical ecology through a synthesis and GIS‐based analysis of zooarchaeological data on skeletal remains from 157 Late Woodland (ca. 900–1650 CE) sites in Ontario, Canada. Our results reveal that passenger pigeon bones are common, and often abundant, in Late Woodland archaeological assemblages in Ontario, which speaks to the species' importance to Indigenous peoples in the region. However, the relative abundance of passenger pigeon remains varies over time, suggesting longer‐term trends in their availability and/or in hunting patterns.
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Geology, Zooarchaeology, Ecology, and 3 moreOsteoarchaeology, Woodland, and Indigenous
When asked if we would participate in this session, we believed it was because the organizers hoped we would be able to speak about a collaborative archaeological project involving academic researchers and the Huron-Wendat Nation,... more
When asked if we would participate in this session, we believed it was because the organizers hoped we would be able to speak about a collaborative archaeological project involving academic researchers and the Huron-Wendat Nation, particularly with respect to Ontario archaeology. In the last decade, a great deal of progress has been made towards collaboration, but at this time we would consider most, if not all, Ontario archaeological research projects to be consultative rather than collaborative. By this, we mean that the Huron-Wendat Nation has been informed of projects, often at the outset, and asked to provide feedback; and in some cases changes may have been made. However, the people conducting the research and the research questions originate outside of the Huron-Wendat Nation and are not necessarily of specific interest to the Huron-Wendat.
In the province of Ontario, Canada, it is estimated that 80% of archaeological sites are Indigenous, yet there are very few Indigenous archaeologists involved in management and decision-making about Indigenous heritage. Systemic barriers,... more
In the province of Ontario, Canada, it is estimated that 80% of archaeological sites are Indigenous, yet there are very few Indigenous archaeologists involved in management and decision-making about Indigenous heritage. Systemic barriers, particularly around licensing and regulations for curatorial facilities, continue to prevent Indigenous people from directly managing and protecting their own cultural heritage. Recognizing that Indigenous communities in northeastern Ontario have had little exposure or opportunity to learn about archaeology, for several years we have been involved in educational programs to train Indigenous youth, staff in First Nations government offices, and others. We illustrate with two examples: the monitor training program undertaken in northeastern Ontario and a project to catalog artifacts from the legacy collection from the La Cloche site.
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Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Geology, Zooarchaeology, Ecology, and 3 moreOsteoarchaeology, Woodland, and Indigenous
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Birimi is an archaeological site located in the sub-Saharan northern region of Ghana, Africa, south of the Gambaga Escarpment. The site, situated on a river terrace of the ephemeral Birimi stream, contains archaeological remains of three... more
Birimi is an archaeological site located in the sub-Saharan northern region of Ghana, Africa, south of the Gambaga Escarpment. The site, situated on a river terrace of the ephemeral Birimi stream, contains archaeological remains of three cultural components. The oldest component is of Middle Stone Age (MSA) technology and is overlain by the Late Stone Age ceramic producing Kintampo cultural level and the youngest Iron Age component. The MSA artifacts consist of stone implements only, hence this component was dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) used on the quartz-rich sediment surrounding the tools. The Kintampo level was dated by two geoarchaeological chronology techniques, namely thermoluminescence (TL) used on both ceramic and burnt house daub fragments, and radiocatbon dating used on small pieces of charcoal. Smelters used for iron refining are also present at Birimi and were dated by TL. The MSA level yielded an age of32.5 ±7.5 ka, the only absolute agefor theMSA in...
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The rapid pace of economic, political, and social change over the past 150 years has framed and reframed archaeological practice in Ontario. Indigenous groups have become increasingly involved in and critical of archaeological research.... more
The rapid pace of economic, political, and social change over the past 150 years has framed and reframed archaeological practice in Ontario. Indigenous groups have become increasingly involved in and critical of archaeological research. Indigenous peoples who value archaeological investigation of ancestral sites, but also desire to protect their buried ancestors, have restricted archaeological excavation and the analysis of remains. Over the last decade, research and consulting archaeologists in Ontario, Canada, have worked collaboratively with Indigenous peoples with an eye to developing sustainable archaeology practices. In the spirit of sustainable archaeology, a comprehensive research project and field school run by Wilfrid Laurier University is training the next generation of archaeologists to adopt investigative techniques that minimize disturbance of ancestral sites. Here we present the results of our surface, magnetic susceptibility, and metal detecting surveys of a Huron-We...
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High collared pottery rim sherds from sites designated as Huron-Wendat and St. Lawrence Iroquoian are analysed using a community of practice approach. Using several analytical methods on the same ceramic sherds, we aimed to determine the... more
High collared pottery rim sherds from sites designated as Huron-Wendat and St. Lawrence Iroquoian are analysed using a community of practice approach. Using several analytical methods on the same ceramic sherds, we aimed to determine the technological choices made by potters. We focused specifically on clay selection, temper selection and processing, preparation of the clay body and formation of the rim. Our findings demonstrate that for each step in the production process there are a range of practices represented within the study region. However, comparison with adjacent areas and earlier periods shows that there is consistency in technological choices that are specific to our study area. We argue that this is consistent with connections between the pottery making traditions in the Simcoe Uplands in Ontario and the St. Lawrence Valley areas. As traditions were maintained by people, so we envision connected communities across the study area.
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The Aterian is well-represented in arid eastern North Africa, particularly in the Egyptian oases and other formerly watered areas. In this region, study of the Middle Stone Age (MSA), including the Aterian, has been hindered by the rarity... more
The Aterian is well-represented in arid eastern North Africa, particularly in the Egyptian oases and other formerly watered areas. In this region, study of the Middle Stone Age (MSA), including the Aterian, has been hindered by the rarity of buried sites. However, work by a ...
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Glass beads from archaeological sites in the North American Great Lakes region have been subject to chemical analysis for several decades. Early work identified key elements in glass beads using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis... more
Glass beads from archaeological sites in the North American Great Lakes region have been subject to chemical analysis for several decades. Early work identified key elements in glass beads using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), a bulk sample analysis method. Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) now offers an alternative, point-based analytical method. We compare results of analyzing the same artifacts using INAA and LA-ICP-MS, and analyses undertaken in two LA-ICP-MS laboratories with differing data analysis protocols. Good comparability across methods and labs makes it possible to combine legacy and newly obtained data to explore interregional archaeological questions.
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Abstract During the Late Woodland period in what is now the Canadian province of Ontario, Indigenous peoples met their nutritional needs through a combination of maize horticulture, gathering, hunting, and fishing. Recent research on... more
Abstract During the Late Woodland period in what is now the Canadian province of Ontario, Indigenous peoples met their nutritional needs through a combination of maize horticulture, gathering, hunting, and fishing. Recent research on stable isotopes in human tissue (Pfeiffer et al. 2016) suggests that the protein component in the diet of one of the groups of Iroquoian-speaking peoples in Ontario varies over time and came in part from high trophic level fish taxa. We present a pilot study that examines similar questions by means of zooarchaeological data from >100 previously analysed zooarchaeological assemblages using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Our findings indicate differences in the consumption of fish through time. In addition, we observe patterned variation across the landscape of southern Ontario. In areas close to Lake Ontario, the primary high tropic level fishes exploited were members of the family Salmonidae. By contrast, in the Lake Erie drainage, Sander spp., in the family Percidae, makes a greater contribution to zooarchaeological samples. These findings suggest that the Indigenous peoples exploiting these fish sources would have faced different challenges with respect to harvest technology and scheduling.
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In a 1993 paper, Noble and Crerar suggested, based on the age and sex distribution of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) longbones from four Attawandaron Iroquoian sites around the western end of Lake Ontario, that the... more
In a 1993 paper, Noble and Crerar suggested, based on the age and sex distribution of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) longbones from four Attawandaron Iroquoian sites around the western end of Lake Ontario, that the contact-period Attawandaron were managing local deer populations, in response to the aboriginal trade in hides. Having observed similar patterns of differential preservation of elements and epiphyseal fusion at nearby Iroquoian sites that are not ascribed to the Attawandaron, and which pre-date the hypothesised trading period, we argue that these patterns may instead relate to bone density and/or vulnerability to taphonomic effects of late-fusing epiphyses. We further support our argument through age profiles based on dental eruption and wear.
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Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions... more
Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions of 16th-century Spanish colonial trade. A similar style occurs around Lake Ontario in northeastern North America in areas of 17th-century Dutch and French colonial trade. We compare the chemical composition of beads from South America and Ontario, Canada, to explore their provenience and technology. Differences in key trace elements (Hf, Zr, Nd) strongly indicate separate sand origins for the two bead groups. Comparison with soda-lime glass made in Venice and Antwerp reveals chemical similarities between the South American beads and Venetian glass, and between the Ontario beads and Antwerp glass. The analysis also sheds light on beadmaking technologies.
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L’interet universitaire pour la population Huron-Wendat du dix-septieme siecle en Ontario est loin d’etre nouveau. Malgre cela, ce n’est que tres recemment que les archeologues et autres chercheurs travaillent avec la communaute... more
L’interet universitaire pour la population Huron-Wendat du dix-septieme siecle en Ontario est loin d’etre nouveau. Malgre cela, ce n’est que tres recemment que les archeologues et autres chercheurs travaillent avec la communaute Huron-Wendat autour des excavations de sites Huron-Wendat en Ontario. Cette implication est un premier pas, mais ne peut etre vue comme une reelle collaboration car dans la plupart des cas les investigations ne sont pas des partenariats et ne repondent pas a de questions directement posees par les membres de la Nation. En 2015, pour le quatre-centieme anniversaire de l’arrivee de Champlain en Ontario, les membres de la Nation Huron-Wendat et des archeologues ont co-organise un colloque autour de sujets significatifs pour la nation, parmi lesquels la relation avec les « Iroquoiens du Saint-Laurent », les Wendat et l’histoire Wyandot apres 1650, ainsi que les analyses bio-archeologiques. Cet article presente une breve histoire de la recherche archeologique sur...
Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions... more
Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions of 16th-century Spanish colonial trade. A similar style occurs around Lake Ontario in northeastern North America in areas of 17th-century Dutch and French colonial trade. We compare the chemical composition of beads from South America and Ontario, Canada, to explore their provenience and technology. Differences in key trace elements (Hf, Zr, Nd) strongly indicate separate sand origins for the two bead groups. Comparison with soda-lime glass made in Venice and Antwerp reveals chemical similarities between the South American beads and Venetian glass, and between the Ontario beads and Antwerp glass. The analysis also sheds light on beadmaking technologies.
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Existe uma história longa de estudo acadêmico do povo Huron-Wendat no século dezessete no Ontario. Apesar disso, é muito recente o engajamento dos arqueólogos e de outros acadêmicos com a comunidade Huron-Wendat em relação às escavações... more
Existe uma história longa de estudo acadêmico do povo Huron-Wendat no século dezessete no Ontario. Apesar disso, é muito recente o engajamento dos arqueólogos e de outros acadêmicos com a comunidade Huron-Wendat em relação às escavações de sítios Huron-Wendat no Ontario. Este engajamento constitui um primeiro passo, porém não representa uma verdadeira colaboração considerando que na maioria dos casos as investigações não são parcerias e não se baseiam em perguntas diretamente formuladas pelos membros da Nação. Em 2015, para marcar o aniversario de quatrocentos anos da chegada de Champlain no Ontario, membros da Nação Huron-Wendat e arqueólogos co-organizaram um colóquio sobre temas de grande interesse para a Nação, incluindo a relação com os “St. Lawrence Iroquoians,” os Wendat e a história dos Wyandot depois de 1650, assim como análises bio-arqueológicas. Este artigo apresenta uma breve história da pesquisa arqueológica sobre o passado dos Huron-Wendat e revela alguns novos, e mais...
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... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/15666. Title: Getting a handle on tangs, defining the Dakhleh Unit of the Aterian Technocomplex : a study in surface archaeology from Dakhleh Oasis,... more
... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/15666. Title: Getting a handle on tangs, defining the Dakhleh Unit of the Aterian Technocomplex : a study in surface archaeology from Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. ...
Glass beads from archaeological sites in the North American Great Lakes region have been subject to chemical analysis for several decades. Early work identified key elements in glass beads using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis... more
Glass beads from archaeological sites in the North American Great Lakes region have been subject to chemical analysis for several decades. Early work identified key elements in glass beads using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), a bulk sample analysis method. Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) now offers an alternative, point-based analytical method. We compare results of analyzing the same artifacts using INAA and LA-ICP-MS, and analyses undertaken in two LA-ICP-MS laboratories with differing data analysis protocols. Good comparability across methods and labs makes it possible to combine legacy and newly obtained data to explore interregional archaeological questions.
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Draft best practices document for zooarchaeology in Ontario
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On behalf of the organizing committee, we are happy to announce that the 22nd ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 12 to 17 August, 2024. These dates are inclusive of the post-conference field... more
On behalf of the organizing committee, we are happy to announce that the 22nd ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 12 to 17 August, 2024. These dates are inclusive of the post-conference field trip. Conference sessions will run from August 12 to 15, with the field trip occurring on August 16 and 17. More details are available on the conference website, linked below. We welcome abstracts on topics pertaining to historical and archaeological use of fish by humans. We uphold the tradition of past FRWG conferences to be widely inclusive of studies employing differing methodologies and examining past human and fish interactions globally. Both our abstract submission and registration systems are now open. The deadline for abstract submission is May 15, 2024, and presenters must register for the conference by June 15, 2024. Links for submission of abstracts and for registration, as well as additional information on all aspects of the conference, can be found on the conference website (https://uoft.me/frwg-2024).
More than a century of archaeological work in Ontario and surrounding areas has resulted in a massive quantity of archaeological data and collections, much of which has been subject to relatively limited analyses. For the past several... more
More than a century of archaeological work in Ontario and surrounding areas has resulted in a massive quantity of archaeological data and collections, much of which has been subject to relatively limited analyses. For the past several years, our research team has been working on (re-)analyzing legacy faunal collections to understand past subsistence and economic activities, technologies, environments, and social relations at individual sites, while also contributing data and insights to larger, multi-site research projects that also use non-legacy data generated by ourselves and others. Drawing on this growing database of new and legacy zooarchaeological data, we have started to conduct largescale meta-analyses to explore broad trends across various aspects of the archaeology and historical ecology of the Lower Great Lakes region through roughly the past 1000 years. A theme that runs through all of this research is our desire to gain a better understanding of species that are now extinct, extirpated, or endangered. Through a combination of zooarchaeological meta-analysis and the use of modern analytical tools and techniques—including geographic information systems (GIS), stable isotope analysis, and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis—our research is providing fascinating insights into past human interactions with, and the historical ecology of, such animals as the now-extinct passenger pigeon and the now-extirpated (locally extinct) Atlantic salmon. In this paper, as part of our commitment to sharing the results of our research with a wider audience, we provide a brief overview of some of our completed and ongoing research projects and publications that show how we use legacy faunal collections and legacy faunal data as a basis to explore various aspects of past human–animal relationships and the ecological history of these iconic species—and other species as well—in southern Ontario and the broader Great Lakes region.