Glacial Kame Culture
Encyclopedia
The Glacial Kame Culture was a culture
of Archaic people that occupied southern Ontario, Michigan
, Ohio
and Indiana
from around 8000 BC to 1000 BC. The name of this culture derives from its members' practice of burying their dead atop glacier-deposited gravel hills
. Among the most common types of artifacts
found at Glacial Kame sites are shells
of marine animals
and goods manufactured from copper
.
The type site
for Glacial Kame is the Ridgeway Site
near the village of Ridgeway
in Hardin County, Ohio
. The site was discovered in 1856 by workers building a railroad line nearby, who mined the kame for ballast
; the supervisor's detailed report of the excavation has survived to the present day and is a premier resource for the culture.
Other regional cultures include the Maple Creek Culture
of southwestern Ohio, Red Ocher Culture
and Old Copper Culture of Wisconsin
.
For a time, it was thought that the Glacial Kame Culture did not produce ceramics, but this understanding was disproven by the discovery of basic pottery at the Zimmerman Site
near Roundhead, Ohio
. Excavation of Glacial Kame sites frequently yields few projectile point
s — some of the most important sites have yielded no projectile points at all — and their few points that have been found are of diverse styles. For this reason, it appears that different groups of Glacial Kame peoples independently developed different methods of manufacturing their projectile points. This diversity appears even in the culture's heartland in Champaign
, Hardin
, and Logan
counties in western Ohio; one large Logan County site yielded just three points, each of which was significantly different from the other two.
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
of Archaic people that occupied southern Ontario, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from around 8000 BC to 1000 BC. The name of this culture derives from its members' practice of burying their dead atop glacier-deposited gravel hills
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
. Among the most common types of artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
found at Glacial Kame sites are shells
Seashell
A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washed up on beaches by beachcombers...
of marine animals
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
and goods manufactured from copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
.
The type site
Type site
In archaeology a type site is a site that is considered the model of a particular archaeological culture...
for Glacial Kame is the Ridgeway Site
Ridgeway Site
The Ridgeway Site is a former archaeological site in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Revealed to be a leading site by the construction of a railroad, it yielded a large and highly informational number of artifacts and buried bodies...
near the village of Ridgeway
Ridgeway, Ohio
Ridgeway is a village in Hardin and Logan counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 354 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ridgeway is located at ....
in Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,058. Its county seat is Kenton and is named for John Hardin, an officer in the American Revolution.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. The site was discovered in 1856 by workers building a railroad line nearby, who mined the kame for ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
; the supervisor's detailed report of the excavation has survived to the present day and is a premier resource for the culture.
Other regional cultures include the Maple Creek Culture
Maple Creek Culture
The Maple Creek Phase is an archaeological phase, remains of which have been found on the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the Ohio River, primarily around the area of modern Cincinnati...
of southwestern Ohio, Red Ocher Culture
Red Ocher Culture
The Red Ocher people were an indigenous people of North America. A series of archaeological sites located in the Upper Great Lakes, the Greater Illinois River Valley, and the Ohio River Valley in the American Midwest have been discovered to be a Red Ocher burial complex, dating from 1000 BC to 400...
and Old Copper Culture of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
For a time, it was thought that the Glacial Kame Culture did not produce ceramics, but this understanding was disproven by the discovery of basic pottery at the Zimmerman Site
Zimmerman Kame
The Zimmerman Kame is a glacial kame and archaeological site in McDonald Township, Hardin County, Ohio, United States, near the community of Roundhead...
near Roundhead, Ohio
Roundhead, Ohio
Roundhead is an unincorporated community in southeastern Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43346...
. Excavation of Glacial Kame sites frequently yields few projectile point
Projectile point
In archaeological terms, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, or arrow, or perhaps used as a knife....
s — some of the most important sites have yielded no projectile points at all — and their few points that have been found are of diverse styles. For this reason, it appears that different groups of Glacial Kame peoples independently developed different methods of manufacturing their projectile points. This diversity appears even in the culture's heartland in Champaign
Champaign County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,890 people, 14,952 households, and 10,870 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 15,890 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile...
, Hardin
Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,058. Its county seat is Kenton and is named for John Hardin, an officer in the American Revolution.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and Logan
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....
counties in western Ohio; one large Logan County site yielded just three points, each of which was significantly different from the other two.
Further reading
- Keller, Christine K. Glacial Kame sandal-sole shell gorgets : an exploration of manufacture, use, distribution, and public exhibition. 2008.