Abstract

A considerable literature exists concerning the form and distribution of native copper artifacts in eastern North America, particularly during the Archaic through Middle Woodland periods. Some studies relating to the sources and artifact types utilized by Mississippian societies are available, however, little has been written concerning native copper use among Woodland groups. Historic references are unfortunately brief and provide few insights into the importance of this raw material to the First Nations. Trace element analyses of copper artifacts from sixteenth and early seventeenth century sites in Ontario have provided new information on the distribution and use of native copper at this critical period in the Great Lakes region. Archaeological data are combined with ethnohistoric and ethnographic observations to better understand the significance of this metal in protohistoric Woodland society.