Back to the Lavase River/Fort LarondeJonathan Ferguson and John Pollock
The 1992 and 1997 archaeological investigations at the LaVase ( Bothwell) Island Site yielded 4,920 artifacts. The variety of Native and European finds recovered provides some interesting insights into past prehistoric and historic events in the area. The artifacts assist in reconstructing past life-ways of the Nipissing First Nation, a people under-represented in the archaeological record despite being historically well-documented. The cultural interaction between Aboriginal people, Europeans and the expansion of the fur trade are represented by trade goods found on the island. Hstorical records indicate that during the period of c. 1795 to 1821, what is now Bothwell Island was the home of the LaRonde Post; and the 1997 archaeological research helped confirm that the LaRonde post was in fact located on Bothwell Island. Finally, from the decline of the fur trade in the area after 1821 to the island's present-day use as a cottage lot, the more recent history of the site is also preserved in the archaeological record.
The Aboriginal ceramics recovered from the LaVase Island Site in 1992 and 1997 are consistent with the Ontario Iroquoian pottery tradition. In particular, the ceramic evidence points to an association of CbGu-5 with the Northern Division of the Huron-Petun branch of this tradition. This affiliation with the Ontario Iroquois pottery tradition strengthens rather than weakens the attribution of this site to the Nipissing, an Algonkian speaking people. Comparison with other Algonkian groups and the ceramics recovered from the campsite at Frank Bay have shown that the Nipissing were active participants in the Iroquoian tradition. Close trade and political association between the Nipissing and the Huron/Petun are, furthermore, documented in ethnographic and archaeological records. The occurrence of Iroquoian, and more specifically, Huronian, pottery types should therefore be expected on Nipissing sites such as CbGu-5. While it cannot be ruled out that some proportion of these vessels may have been deposited by Huron trading parties camped at the site while passing through the portages, circumstantial evidence (e.g. lithics) demonstrates that the prehistoric ceramic and lithic component of CbGu-5 was primarily Nipissing and other related Anishnabek groups.
The possible chronological range for the 1992 and 1997 LaVase North Bank Native ceramics spans from c. 1350 to 1687, within the Terminal Woodland Period. Excavation on Bothwell Island by ASI in 1995 recovered a Middle Woodland vessel, which could date to as early as A.D. 400. In combination with the CbGu-1 ceramics, a continuity of the use of the area can be demonstrated for the past 2,000 years.
The prehistoric trade and contact of the LaVase River area inhabitants with other regions is further supported by the lithic finds. Eighteen chert flakes were recovered from Bothwell Island, but chert is not locally available; three of these flakes have been tentatively attributed to the Gordon Lake chert source, only found in two locations - along the North shore of Lake Huron and at Smoothwater Lake near Temagami, Ontario . Similarly, the catlinite etched with the image of Mishipizheu must have been brought from elsewhere, most likely Minnesota. These exotic lithic materials show that either extensive trade patterns existed and/or that the Nipissing were willing to travel long distances to obtain such goods.
The desire for exotic materials was exacerbated by the poor suitability of local resources for lithic tool production. The quartz crystal and quartzite found on Bothwell Island represent the use of local material for the lithic industry. The retouching and grinding of waste flakes into small scrapers reflect the conservative nature of this industry. Because materials were difficult to obtain, full use was made of their potential.
The 1992 and 1997 field seasons also helped to throw some light on the spiritual aspects of Nipissing culture. The two Native clay pipe stem fragments exhibit particular care in their manufacture, including burnishing on both examples. Moreover, the bore of one stem was formed around a braided cord, perhaps of sweetgrass. These painstaking methods demonstrate the importance of the smoking pipe in traditional Native life and reflects scared considerations. The piece of catlinite carved with the image of Mishipizheu further reflects the spiritualism of the Nipissing people. The presence of a carving of this water manitou at the site may be related to its position along such an important canoe route.
The earliest evidence for contact between Natives and Europeans recovered from the LaVase Island Site in 1992 and 1997 includes European spall gunflints and clay smoking pipes, which date to as early as 1650 and 1660, respectively. In 1996, Laurentian University found the oldest European material yet found on the site, a bead dated from about 1630 to 1650. The beads from the 1992 and 1997 field seasons attest to the continuity of the fur trade at the site, from one example dated to between c. 1700 and 1750 to seed beads traded after 1800.
In fact, a large number of artifacts recovered from Bothwell Island in 1992 and 1997 can be linked to the fur trade period. Some artifacts may be associated with voyageur campsites on the island, such as spall (c. 1650-1770) and French (c. 1740-1800) gunflints. A number of artifacts from the fur trade period could be attributed to either camped voyageurs or the LaRonde Post occupation of c. 1795 to 1821. Most smoking pipes, for example, date from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. The European ceramics are most consistent with the pearlware-dominated horizon of about 1780 to 1830, although vessels from later in the 19th century were also recovered. A decorated brass button dates to the first quarter of the 19th century.
Other finds, however, point more conclusively to the presence of the LaRonde Post on Bothwell Island; foremost among these is the architectural class of artifacts. Unlike at CbGu-1, the majority (80.8%) of nails on the island are either wrought or machine cut, showing that most construction activity on the island (omitting the present Bothwell cottage) took place before 1890. Moreover, the six recovered wrought nails were most likely manufactured prior to c. 1830. Similarly, the flat window glass dates to before 1845. Daub has been found in considerable quantities over the course of successive excavations; this material points to the chinking of a wooden building or the construction of a wattle and daub structure such as a chimney. A possible LaRonde Post foundation timber was uncovered in 1996 by Laurentian University. The 1997 excavations produced a wrought or very early machine cut nail, which dates before 1830 on the extension of the 1996 timber in an adjacent unit. This confirms that the structure located by Laurentian University in 1996 on Bothwell Island is part of the LaRonde Post.
It is often difficult to distinguish between those artifacts which were associated with the LaRonde Post occupation as opposed to other fur trade activities on the site. A few artifacts, however, can be attributed to the post phase with relative confidence. The blank token, for example, was most likely used as a trading counter and probably within a post setting. Many of the faunal remains were found in association with a hearth (Feature 1), which has been attributed to the La Ronde phase, based on its associated finds. These remains include pig and dog teeth, showing that some domesticated animals were kept at the site. This fact complements the knowledge that the La Ronde family tended a potato patch, suggesting that pigs were kept for food and dogs for hunting. It can be further speculated that the presence of pigs confirms a year-round occupation of the post.
Life at the La Ronde Post was typical for the early 18th century fur trade; native technical knowledge, local raw materials and country food were combined with imported goods and technology. Hunting and fishing were supplemented with limited farming (i.e. potatoes and pigs) and perhaps also imported food. While it is not yet possible to reconstruct the architectural form of the LaRonde Post, it can be concluded that this structure was constructed of wood, was chinked with daub and included some windows and a wattle and daub chimney. It sat on a foundation of flat stones with timber sills. As a family home, this small but comfortable building was likely furnished with the typical items of Canadian frontier life, of which ceramics are here the best example. Serving the dual functions of a commercial establishment and home to a large family, the La Ronde Post must have been the scene of busy year-round activity .
Following the merger of the Northwest Company with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, the La Ronde Post was moved from what is now Bothwell Island to Garden Island at the mouth of the Sturgeon River on Lake Nipissing. This is confirmed by the archaeological record, as after 1821 the artifactual evidence for the occupation of the site decreases. For example, there is a conspicuous lack of late 19th century examples within the smoking pipe assemblage and a corresponding paucity of ceramics from the same period. This phenomenon is thought to reflect the diminishing importance of the La Vase River portages as a highway for the fur trade, following the merger of the Northwest Company with the Hudson's Bay Company. The removal of the post to Garden Island and the decrease in traffic along the river together contributed to the precipitous decline of archaeological evidence for the late fur trade at CbGu-5.
Despite this diminished importance after the removal of the post, Bothwell Island nevertheless did yield some artifacts from later in the 19th century. The two percussion caps found on the site most likely represent use of the site during the period between about 1830 and 1860. The Perry Davis Painkiller bottle dates to after 1854, but may represent only a transient use of the site. The evidence of architectural activity in the second half of the 19th century, however, is inconclusive. The recovered machine cut nails point to construction on the island between about 1800 and 1890, while the wire nails show that such activity took place after c. 1890. Of the machine cut nails, those with iron fibres running parallel to the shank (e.g. one of 97-300) probably date to the period from c. 1830 to 1890. However, it cannot yet be determined what type of structure, if any, existed on the site between the LaRonde Post and the present-day Bothwell cottage.
The recent history of the LaVase/Bothwell Island Site shows that it is much less disturbed than the North Bank Site where extensive landscaping and other disturbances have taken place. The modern Bothwell family cottage appears to have been constructed on the surface, probably leaving subterranean and earlier archaeological features largely intact. The presence of waterworn pipe fragments suggests that deposition may have taken place on the island, whether naturally on the former riverbank or through the possible ( but unconfirmed) dredging of the boat channel at the river mouth. Most of these waterworn pipes, however, were found along the east beach. The stratigraphy of the La Vase Island Site occurs at a relatively uniform depth and is much less disturbed than that of the La Vase North Bank Site..
The 1992 underwater midden test pits and the 1997 archaeological subsurface excavations at the La Vase/ Bothwell Island Site recovered an interesting and informative artifact assemblage which outlines the prehistory and early history of the La Vase River and the City of North Bay . Prehistoric Aboriginal artifacts such as ceramics and lithics help to define aspects of the cultural, economic and spiritual aspects of life for the ancestors of the present day Nipissing First Nation people. For example, ceramics reflect their interaction with the Huron to the south, while lithic finds demonstrate the conservative use of imported stone for tool making. The later occurrence of trade items corroborates early Anishnabek contact with Europeans and the rising importance of the fur trade in the area. The evidence for the fur trade intensifies during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, at a time when historical records indicate the presence of a North West Company trading post operated by Eustache La Ronde at the mouth of the La Vase River. The archaeological evidence supports the theory that this post was in fact located on Bothwell Island, while other finds help to reconstruct the daily life of the La Ronde family. Finally, the recoveries of material culture demonstrates that the later 19th century saw a decrease in traffic along the LaVase River, as shown by a drop in artifact frequencies. More modern artifacts reflect the recent use of the island as the location of the Bothwell family cottage.
The qualities of Bothwell Island and the La Vase North Bank that first attracted Native Peoples, explorers, fur traders and cottagers to the site can be appreciated today by visiting the site, which is located within the present day City of North Bay. During recent years there have been annual " archaeological digs" on the sites and these may continue for many years with the eventual establishment of a permanent archaeological interpretive and educational facility located near the sites.