Abstract:

Archaeological investigations in the lacustrine district in extreme north-central Wisconsin for the past three summers have revealed distinctive Middle Woodland and Late Woodland assemblages which, for the most part, were previously unknown and unanticipated. These materials include considerable numbers of exotic artifacts and artifact styles which reflect prehistoric contacts and influences from southern Wisconsin, southern Ontario, northeastern Wisconsin, and northern Minnesota, southeastern Manitoba, and adjacent portions of northern Ontario. The Laurel and Blackduck-related styles reported here represent the southern limits of these influences in Wisconsin and, as such, help to define the maximum extent of Laurel and Blackduck with regard to their more southern contemporaries.