1820 Cater Site Chippewa
About a decade before the settler occupation, there was an occupation by a household of Native Americans at the Cater site. Occasional fur trade artifacts and features (smudge pits) were noted during the 1970's and 1990's excavations at the site. However, the significance of these finds was masked by the abundance of settler material on the site. At the end of the 1996 season, while we were finishing excavation of the settler occupation, we decided to excavate some units on the edge and down the slope of the river terrace where the 1970's excavations had indicated a trash deposit (midden). In these units, we found a midden extending down the slope of the terrace that contained early nineteenth century fur trade artifacts, numerous animal bones and plant remains. These artifacts indicated that a Native American household lived at the site around 1820.
The entire 1997 season was spent determining the extent of this midden. It was found to extend about 100 feet east-west along the slope of the terrace and about 40 feet north-south down the slope. The midden ranged in thickness from four to ten inches and consisted of dark gray or black friable silt sandwiched between lighter brown silts. At the top of the terrace slope the midden was located ten inches below the present surface and at the bottom of the slope it was 24 inches below the present surface. This depth of sediment is the result of increased sedimentation and flooding caused by land clearance (lumbering and agriculture) in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The midden ended in a field associated with the settler cabin where shallow plow scars from a horse drawn plow were encountered at the midden level. Most of the material recovered from this midden consisted of animal bones, with deer and various species of fish being particularly common. In the 1998 and 1999 seasons we expanded our excavations and opened a block of units in the midden.
We have identified one mention of the Cater Site historic Native American occupation in historic sources. This was made by J. L. Cole who made a trip from Detroit to Saginaw in 1822 ("Journal of a Pedestrian Tour from Detroit to Sagana (Saginaw) River in 1822," Michigan Pioneer and Historical Collections 2, pages 470-475). On page 473 he writes:
"Thurday, 30th May. - Taking Mr. Campau for a guide, the party, with the exception of Dr. Tyler and the secretary, who were unable to provide themselves with horses, started on an expedition to the forks of the Tittabawassee [modern Midland]. The party took a westerly direction , and struck the river about four miles above its mouth. In this distance they passed over a comparatively low and wet, but well timbered soil... At the mouth of the river they found a spring of most excellent water, the purest and coolest they had yet discovered. About twelve miles above the mouth of the river they called at an Indian village [Miscobenessi]. The country was generally well timbered with oak, pine, beech, maple, elm, and provided with running streams of wholesome water. At the village there appeared to be a fine growth of English grass. Thence to the forks of the river, where there is a small Indian village [Arbetchwachewan], and thence up the Pine river, about three miles, to another Indian village, the country is in general well timbered, level and interspersed with open flats and running streams. At the upper village there is a tolerable mill privilege. The country through the whole route possesses many and distinguished advantages. The average breadth of the river, according to the estimation of the party, for the distance they traversed it, is about twenty rods. It is a smooth, deep, unobstructed stream, navigable for batteaux drawing three feet of water, at any season. At the forks the banks are upwards of fifteen feet in height, gradually receding to the mouth of the river. Many groves of black walnut grow on its borders, and some apple trees." [Apple seeds were found in the Cater site midden!]
The location of the "mill privilege" reported in this description is at CNC's Oxbow and was recorded by Government Land Surveyor H. Parks as a "mill seat" nine years later on his 1831 map of Midland Township. This is about 450 meters southeast of the Cater site and shows that the Cater site is the "Upper Village" refered to by Cole and was occupied in 1822.
In addition to this historical reference several artifacts help date the occupation. The primary artifact is a U.S. Infantry button that was issued between 1815 and 1819 (see photograph below). We also recovered several fragments of two "Chief Grade Trade Guns". This was a type of gun distributed to Native American allies of the British just before and during the War of 1812 (see photograph below). Based on present evidence we are dating this occupation of the site between 1815 and 1825.
The Cater site was occupied at the time of the 1819 Treaty between the United States Government and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe. This treaty ceded much of the east half of Michigan's lower peninsula and established 15 reservations of various sizes. The Cater site (20MD36) and Cater East (20MD534) lie just outside the northwest boundary of the reservation that was set up at the Little Forks on the Tittabawassee. The Cater site has produced important information on local Native American lifestyle and relationship to nature at the time of the 1819 Saginaw Treaty.
From historical documents and Native American traditions we know that the residents of the site would have moved across the landscape to use seasonally available resources. The "Chippewa settlement pattern" was based on small "villages" in the warm seasons (spring/summer) that dispersed into smaller family groups in the cold season (fall/winter). The subsistence pattern consisted of autumn deer hunts and harvests from horticultural gardens which usually supplied enough food to last till February or March. In February or March family groups moved into sugar camps and processed maple sap for maple sugar. In April and May families moved to small villages along the rivers to take advantage of lake sturgeon and sucker spawning runs. At the end of May and beginning of June gardens would be planted on the river "bottoms". During the summer months there was generalized hunting, fishing, and collecting of wild plant resources.
We know that the Cater site was occupied in the warm season from J. L. Cole's visit to the site at the end of May 1822. The archaeological evidence recovered from the midden indicates that the site was probably occupied annually between April and October. Among the faunal remains (bones) recovered from the site fish bones make up the bulk of the assemblage. Among the fish remains sucker and lake sturgeon are particularly common indicating exploitation of the spawning runs. Other species such as northern pike, pickerel, sunfish, and freshwater drum indicate generalized fishing through the summer months together with mammal and bird bones [For more information on the Cater site faunal remains see Terrance J. Martin and J. C. Richmond, "Animal Remains from the Cater Site (20MD36), Midland County, Michigan," The Michigan Archaeologist 48, pages 87-116.] The floral remains from the site also indicate a warm season occupation with some cultivated plants (corn and watermelon) being planted in the spring and harvested in the autumn. With the exception of blackberry/rasberry which ripen as early as June, the wild plants confirm a late summer/early autumn occupation. [For more information on the Cater site floral remains see Mary Theresa Bonhage-Freund, Kari-Jo Johnson, and Aimmi Knarr, "Assimilation or Adaptation? Late Historic Chippewa Subsistence Strategies in Central Lower Michigan," The Michigan Archaeologist 48, pages 117-148.]
The photographs below show the midden and some of the more interesting artifacts recovered from it.
Cater Site Midden Profiles
Profile of the Cater site midden near the top of the terrace slope where the midden was thickest.
Profile of the Cater site midden at the base of the terrace slope.
Profile of the Cater site midden at the base of the terrace slope.
Cater Site Midden Excavation
Cater Site Midden Excavation. Removing flood sediments overlaying the midden.
Cater Site Midden Excavation. Excavating a feature at the bottom of the midden.
Cater Site Midden Excavation. Drawing profiles.
U.S. Infantry Button
This is a drawing of a pewter U.S. Infantry Button issued between 1815 and 1821. It was found in the Cater site midden. It has an eagle with the letter "I" on a shield on the front. The back has the manufactures name "Eagle Factory." This manufacturer made buttons from the 1790's into the 1820's. [This drawing will be replaced by a photograph in the near future. This button is currently on display and can be seen in the archaeology exhibit at CNC's Visitor Center.]
Gun parts from the Cater Site
This photograph shows selected gun parts recovered from the Cater site associated with the Native American occupation.
The top row shows a Chief's Grade Trade Gun trigger guard that has been broken and hammered flat. The second row left is a Chief's Grade Trade Gun side plate. We also recovered butt plate fragments from two Chief's Grade Trade Guns. Chief Grade Trade guns were smooth bore presentation pieces distributed to prominent Native Americans by the British Indian Department between the 1790's and the 1820's.
The second row right and third row right show fragment of Northwest Trade Guns from the Cater site. The Northwest or "Common" Trade gun was popular with Native Americans throughout North America and is probably the most common type of gun found on Native American sites from the end of the eighteenth century into the second half of the nineteenth century. They were a rather inexpensive smooth bore gun which had a characteristic side plate in the form of a serpent or dragon. The Northwest gun parts from the Cater site consist of the head of one of these cast brass serpent side-plates (second row right), a brass butt plate finial with asquare nail hole (third row right), and an iron trigger guard fragment. The square nail holes on the butt plate fragment are significant for dating the gun. In the mid-1820's screws started to be used to attach the butt plate to the stock. Prior to this time nails were used. This indicates that the Cater specimen was probably manufactured before circa 1825.
We also recovered a butt plate from the midden that could possibly be from a Type A English Pattern Trade Rifle. This was a type of gun imported by the British Indian Department, possibly in the 1780's, for distribution to Native Americans. They had rifled barrels and were characterized by a sliding wooden patch box. A butt plate from one of these rifles was found at the Cater site.
Gun flints from the Cater Site
This photograph shows selected gun parts recovered from the Cater site associated with the Native American occupation.
The top row shows a Chief's Grade Trade Gun trigger guard that has been broken and hammered flat. The second row left is a Chief's Grade Trade Gun side plate. We also recovered butt plate fragments from two Chief's Grade Trade Guns. Chief Grade Trade guns were smooth bore presentation pieces distributed to prominent Native Americans by the British Indian Department between the 1790's and the 1820's.
The second row right and third row right show fragment of Northwest Trade Guns from the Cater site. The Northwest or "Common" Trade gun was popular with Native Americans throughout North America and is probably the most common type of gun found on Native American sites from the end of the eighteenth century into the second half of the nineteenth century. They were a rather inexpensive smooth bore gun which had a characteristic side plate in the form of a serpent or dragon. The Northwest gun parts from the Cater site consist of the head of one of these cast brass serpent side-plates (second row right), a brass butt plate finial with asquare nail hole (third row right), and an iron trigger guard fragment. The square nail holes on the butt plate fragment are significant for dating the gun. In the mid-1820's screws started to be used to attach the butt plate to the stock. Prior to this time nails were used. This indicates that the Cater specimen was probably manufactured before circa 1825.
We also recovered a butt plate from the midden that could possibly be from a Type A English Pattern Trade Rifle. This was a type of gun imported by the British Indian Department, possibly in the 1780's, for distribution to Native Americans. They had rifled barrels and were characterized by a sliding wooden patch box. A butt plate from one of these rifles was found at the Cater site.
Cartouche knife from the Cater Site midden
Two cartouche knife fragments were found at the Cater site. A complete brass handle in a filigree pattern with part of the iron blade was recovered from the midden and fragments of a second was recovered from the plow zone. This was a common type of trade knife known as a "cartouche knife." The brass plates were originally compressed with heated horn or wet leather to form the handle. Identical knife handles have been recovered at Fort Michilimackinac (Stone 1974:Figure 162N, page 268) and the Mill Creek site (Martin 1985:Figure 16F) at the Straits of Mackinac, and a 1802-1803 Northwest and XY Companies winter trading post in Wisconsin (Oerichbauer 1982:Figure 36F-G) as well as other Fur Trade era sites.
References:
Martin, Patrick E., 1985, The Mill Creek Site and Pattern Recognition in Historical Archaeology (Archaeological Completin Report Series, Number 10. Mackinac Island State Park Commission, Mackinac Island, Michigan).
Oerichbauer, 1982, "Archaeological Excavations at the site of a North West and XY Company Winter Post (47-Bt-26): A Progress Report," The Wisconsin Archaeologist 63:153-236.
Stone, Lyle M., 1974, Fort Michilimackinac 1715-1781: An Archaeological Perspective on the Revolutionary Frontier.
knife blade from the Cater Site midden
This iron knife blade was recovered from the Cater site midden.
CAter Site Beads
Several hundred trade beads have been recovered from the Cater site. By far the most common variety of beads were black or white tubular glass beads (top row), though six-sided facetted glass (apple green and blue), round glass (red, green, and blue), wound barrel-shaped glass (black or white), and shell wampum beads have also been recovered. In addition, tiny "seed beads" (black, white, blue, red, and green) have been recovered from flotation samples.
Cater Site "Adornment" Artifacts
The top two rows of this photograph are some of the trade silver artifacts from the Cater site midden. The "earbob" fragments in the upper row are a trade item and type of earring worn by the Native Americans at the site. The ring broach (second row left) which is missing its pin is a common type of trade item worn on clothing. The tinkling cones (third row left) were probably made on the site by cutting up and rolling pieces of worn out kettles. These were used to adorn clothing or hair.
CAter Site Brass awls
Two awls made from rolled kettle brass were recovered from the midden. These are similar to prehistoric awls which were made by hammering native copper into sheets and rolling and hammering them into awls.
CAter Site Stone Pipe Bowls
These stone pipe bowl fragments, found in the midden, were broken during manufacture. Note the marks made from an iron file on the bowl on the left. We also found an iron file in the midden. The "bird effigy" pipe has a series of shallow drilled depressions as decoration. A similar decoration was used to modify the white clay pipe below.
CAter Site Midden White Clay Pipe
These stone pipe bowl fragments, found in the midden, were broken during manufacture. Note the marks made from an iron file on the bowl on the left. We also found an iron file in the midden. The "bird effigy" pipe has a series of shallow drilled depressions as decoration. A similar decoration was used to modify the white clay pipe below.
Cup-and-pin game pieces
These two cut and carved deer phalange ("toe bones") were recovered from the midden. They are the cups from a "cup-and-pin" game. In this type of game these pins were caught on pin (bone sliver) that was attached to them by a string. [For more information see David Frurip, "Stabbing a Hollow Bone," pages 67-69 in David J. Frurip, editor, The Cater Site: The Archaeology, History, Artifacts and is perforated bear mandible is one of two recovered from the Cater site midden. These are a type of tool occasionally found on Great Lakes historic period Native American sites in the Great Lakes region. This example does not have signs of use (polishing on the edge of the hole). However, second fragmentary example from the midden does have polishing on the edge of the hole.Activities at this Early 19th Century Midland County Site (2001).
Perforated Bear Mandible
This perforated bear mandible is one of two recovered from the Cater site midden. These are a type of tool occasionally found on Great Lakes historic period Native American sites in the Great Lakes region. This example does not have signs of use (polishing on the edge of the hole). However, second fragmentary example from the midden does have polishing on the edge of the hole.
Charred Corn Cob and Kernal Fragments from the Cater Midden
These corn cob and kernal fragments were recovered from the Cater site midden. Several smudge pits on the top of the river terrace also contained charred corn cobs.