Sometime
before 1000 BC the Arctic Dorset culture mysteriously disappeared
and was replaced by the Thule people, who were likely new migrants
from northeast Asia. They may have partially crossed over the
ice or sailed over in kayaks.
The Thule people, who occupied the whole of the Canadian Arctic
region, are considered the direct ancestors of the present-
day Inuit. They used large skin-covered kayaks for hunting whales
and other large sea mammals, and also used dog sleds.
At Fort Erie in southern Ontario, a large summer camp has been
found dating to about 2000 BC. Bones found here include those
of dogs and passenger pigeons (now extinct), while flint spear
points and axe heads have also been found. The "camp"
can really be thought of as a major city, although people only
lived there for the summer season. They came because it was
an excellent place to catch fish. In the fall time, families
would head back to their villages. The Fort Erie site was likely
one of the most important meeting places in the central eastern
part of North America, with people from as far away as Vermont
coming here. The site was used until about 400 AD.
25
years ago / 50 years ago
/ 80 years ago / 125
years ago / 150 years ago
250 years ago / 400
years ago / 700 years ago
/ 1,200 years ago
1,500 years ago / 2,000
years ago / 3,000 years
ago / 4,000 years ago
/ 5,000 years ago / 10,000
years ago
