Crawford Lake Indian Village Site
The first prehistoric village in the eastern woodland area of North America to be accurately dated, this archaeological site has revealed much about Iroquoian agriculture. A study of sediment collected from Crawford Lake in 1971 lead to discovery of the site. A small, deep body of water, this meromictic lake has limited circulation and little oxygen below the 12-metre level, ensuring the preservation of annual deposits of sediment in undisturbed layers called varves. Analysis of their pollen content showed vegetational changes in the area over time and a concentration of corn pollen, dated 1434-59, suggested the existence of an Indian village nearby. In 1973 this site was located. Excavations undertaken here during the following decade confirmed that native agriculturalists contributed substantially to the region's changing environment.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Ontario Plaques. Full page here.