Nodwell's Memory

This important Iroquoian village site was discovered about 1900, and named after the family which then owned the property in Port Elgin. Subsequent archaeological examinations have uncovered a mid-14th century village, consisting of twelve longhouses, from 42 to 139 feet in length, protected by a double palisade. It was probably occupied for about 10 to 20 years by a group of some 500 people who were predecessors of the Huron and Petun Indians.

Although primarily farmers who grew corn, tobacco and probably pumpkins and sunflowers, they also engaged in considerable fishing and hunting. A large number of artifacts have been retrieved from this site including fragments of pottery cooking vessels, smoking pipes, arrow heads, adzes, awls and netting needles.

Port Elgin has a lot of history, but it's been sadly neglected.  There are some good exhibits at the Bruce County Museum concerning Nodwell.  Come see them.

With all the wonderful archaeological sites in Kincardine, Inverhuron, Port Elgin, Southampton and on the Saugeen First Nations site, it appears that the area could support a cooperative effort from some university with classes conducted here in the summer with digs.  This has been done in the past by local and distant professional archaeologists, but with little fanfare. 

07/04/2009 10:31 PM