Southwold Earthworks
Encyclopedia
The Southwold Earthworks is the remains of a pre-contact village site of the Neutral
people in Iona Station, Ontario
, Canada
.
in rural Elgin County, near the banks of a tributary of Talbot Creek, approximately 20 km west of St. Thomas, Ontario
. Archaeological investigations have indicated the presence at one time of eighteen longhouses of various sizes within the village, with an estimated population of 800-900 people. These native inhabitants were the Attiwandaronk Indians. An open area in the centre of the community appears to have provided a common activity area or meeting place. The archaeological interpretation concludes that Southwold was a typical pre-contact Neutral village, palisade
d for defensive purposes. The site consists of an oval ring of earthworks enclosing archaeological remains of a double palisade and village that may have included up to 24 longhouses.
Estimated to have originally been about 0.8 hectares (2 acres) in size, the village was surrounded by a double ring of earthworks which served as the foundation for a double ring of upright pickets or palisades which completely circled the village. The main entrance was believed to have been located at the northeast corner of the earthworks, and two other openings , one on the northwest and one in the southern section of the perimeter, permitted a small stream to flow between the rows of palisades.
1976. Oral tradition within the local Oneida
community speculates that Southwold was used as a ceremonial site, which was enclosed by the pallisade so that that activities taking place within the village were screened from the view of people outside the wall. According to the same oral tradition, the site would have been occupied not as a year-round village, but as a seasonal place of pilgrimage and that the site was not defensive in nature, but was dedicated to healing and purification rituals. Archaeologists found the site atypical of Neutral villages of the period in the sense that it is located on flat land with no natural defensive advantages and despite the presence of apparent fortifications, it contains no evidence of ever having been attacked. Although archaeological estimates of site population were that about 800 people could have lived there, curiously, there was little evidence of refuse and garbage within the site.
Neutral Nation
The Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
people in Iona Station, Ontario
Iona Station, Ontario
Iona Station is a hamlet located on the border of Dutton-Dunwich and Southwold Townships, in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada.The "station" in the name was on the Canada Southern Railroad owned by the Michigan Central Railroad, later by the New York Central Railroad.The Canadian-American economist...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Background
Occupied between AD 1450 and 1550, it is located in southwestern OntarioSouthwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
in rural Elgin County, near the banks of a tributary of Talbot Creek, approximately 20 km west of St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
. Archaeological investigations have indicated the presence at one time of eighteen longhouses of various sizes within the village, with an estimated population of 800-900 people. These native inhabitants were the Attiwandaronk Indians. An open area in the centre of the community appears to have provided a common activity area or meeting place. The archaeological interpretation concludes that Southwold was a typical pre-contact Neutral village, palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
d for defensive purposes. The site consists of an oval ring of earthworks enclosing archaeological remains of a double palisade and village that may have included up to 24 longhouses.
Estimated to have originally been about 0.8 hectares (2 acres) in size, the village was surrounded by a double ring of earthworks which served as the foundation for a double ring of upright pickets or palisades which completely circled the village. The main entrance was believed to have been located at the northeast corner of the earthworks, and two other openings , one on the northwest and one in the southern section of the perimeter, permitted a small stream to flow between the rows of palisades.
Heritage recognition
The Southwold Earthworks was one of the first sites considered for official recognition by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1923 and was purchased by the Canadian federal government in 1929.Archaeological investigations
There have been two major archaeological investigations at Southwold Earthworks, in 1935 and1976. Oral tradition within the local Oneida
Oneida Nation of the Thames
The Oneida Nation of the Thames is an Onyota'a:ka First Nation located in southwestern Ontario on what is commonly referred to as the "Oneida Settlement", located about a 30-minute drive from London, Ontario, Canada...
community speculates that Southwold was used as a ceremonial site, which was enclosed by the pallisade so that that activities taking place within the village were screened from the view of people outside the wall. According to the same oral tradition, the site would have been occupied not as a year-round village, but as a seasonal place of pilgrimage and that the site was not defensive in nature, but was dedicated to healing and purification rituals. Archaeologists found the site atypical of Neutral villages of the period in the sense that it is located on flat land with no natural defensive advantages and despite the presence of apparent fortifications, it contains no evidence of ever having been attacked. Although archaeological estimates of site population were that about 800 people could have lived there, curiously, there was little evidence of refuse and garbage within the site.