The Woodland Period Occupation of Grand Island

Abstract

The coastal waters surrounding Grand Island, Michigan represent one of the most productive fisheries along the southern shore of Lake Superior. Archaeological investigations of coastal settings like Grand Island have figured prominently in studies of Woodland period (ca. 0–A.D. 1600) subsistence, settlement, and social integration in the Upper Great Lakes. The topic of Woodland subsistence and settlement is not without controversy regarding the timing of technological changes associated with the increased exploitation of the fall fishery. This article provides a summary of Woodland period archaeology on Grand Island with the goal of interpreting the data from within the framework of the Inland Shore Fishery debate. A multiscalar approach is used to look for differences between Initial and Terminal Woodland fishing strategies and address changes in the way Grand Island was socially and economically integrated into the broader context of Woodland period settlement and subsistence systems. The evidence suggests that while Grand Island was occupied and used in a consistent manner throughout the Woodland period, the social and economic significance of the island may have changed with a shift in settlement toward greater access to deepwater settings for the exploitation of fall-spawning fish.