University of Connecticut |Archaeology : Beyond Walden: The Hidden History of America's Kettle Lakes and Ponds. The mosaic of lakes, marshes, bogs, and forests of the glaciated northern United States supported human ecosystems from the pioneering hunters of the Clovis Tradition through the cultural tipping point of the beaver trade. Understanding kettle lakes can help those with an interest in archaeology understand how humans were enmeshed in their otherwise natural ecosystems.
Fishing, then and now, remains part of lake life. Now, natives and those of European descent use the same bait. Library Journal: The author “provides a complete natural and cultural history of kettle lakes, which are remnants of the Ice Age scattered along the path of retreating glaciers from Maine to Montana.” Beyond Walden: “Throughout it all, the Lamoka Lake site [in upstate New York] has remained the standard reference for the Archaic Period, to which others were compared. Of the many sites located inland from the coast and north of the glacial border, practially all are heavily dependent on lakes and wetlands, most of which occupy kettles.” [page 67] Related Links
PHOTO BANNER : Lamoka Lake, near the headwaters of the Susquehanna River in upstate New York, is the standard reference site for the Archaic Period in North America. "A Chippewa Family in the St. Crox Area" (1885) by Sanford C. Sargent, courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. Smoked whitefish on display at Morey's Fish House, Motley, Minnesota, come from Canada because most local lakes are too degraded and overfished.
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