Abstract

The Devils Lake-Sourisford Burial Complex is associated with nomadic Siouxian peoples of the Northeastern Plains who, between AD 900 and 1400, moved seasonally between the Plains and Aspen Parkland in pursuit of bison. Devils Lake-Sourisford peoples were heavily influenced by cultural developments of the Mississippian Climax. Small ceramic mortuary vessels decorated with spiral incisions and socio-religious motifs are considered by Syms (1979) to be a characteristic of this complex. The geographical distribution of the Devils Lake-Sourisford Burial Complex is concentrated near Devils Lake, North Dakota and the Sourisford locality of Southwestern Manitoba. However, recent archaeological survey work on the Saskatchewan river near The Pas, Manitoba, revealed the presence of Devils Lake-Sourisford spiral-incised pottery. This paper outlines the results of the 1999 survey, and discusses the significance of this occurrence for re-defining the northern limits of the Devils Lake-Sourisford Burial Complex in Manitoba.