Abstract

Two competing hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origins of Iroquoians in the Lower Great Lakes area: migration vs. in situ development. Ceramic assemblages from the Rice Lake-Trent River region in south-central Ontario span the Middle Woodland through Early Iroquoian periods providing an opportunity to explore these hypotheses in some detail. In this paper, the regional ceramic data are evaluated against expectations derived from the migration hypothesis. The data are found to contradict those expectations, demonstrating clear continuity across the Middle to Late Woodland transition in the Rice Lake-Trent River region. This pattern is reinforced by the changes in specific variables along the continuum that represents the adaptation or elaboration of existing attributes.