Cultural change as a result of trade relations in the parklands of central Saskatchewan

Abstract

The Lozinsky subphase is an archaeological entity found in the parklands of central Saskatchewan, and which dates to the late precontact period. This subphase has only recently been defined by Walde (1994), and there remain many questions regarding its placement in the precontact record. The ceramics and tool kit characteristic of the Lozinsky subphase indicate that it held strong ties with the Mortlach phase of the northern plains, and it appears that the Lozinsky subphase is a modified expression of the Mortlach phase. The cultural material of the Lozinsky subphase also shows evidence of influence from boreal forest cultures, specifically the Pehonan complex of the Selkirk composite. This mixture of plains and boreal forest traits in the Lozinsky subphase is evidently a result of interaction between those boreal forest peoples who produced the Pehonan complex and parkland occupants responsible for the Mortlach phase.

A number of models have been proposed to explain how these parklands and boreal forest peoples interacted during late precontact and post contact times. These models attribute interaction between the peoples of the Mortlach phase and the Selkirk composite to co-occupation of the parklands, and/or long distance visiting. One avenue of interaction that has been largely ignored is that the boreal forest and plains groups were involved in formalized trading relationships. The participation of the two groups in a trade fair may have been an important factor that resulted in the mixture of plains and forest traits exhibited by the Lozinsky subphase. This thesis wilt explore this possibility, focusing on the Muskoday/Birch Hills region of the central Saskatchewan parklands as the possible location of a trade fair.