The raw materials from which tools were fashioned were valued commodities among prehistoric peoples. Archaeological evidence from Maritime sites suggests there was an active trade which may have, in some cases, involved travel over long distances to sources of desirable materials.
Prehistoric people may in fact have planned their seasonal rounds to include known sources of raw materials. A region geologically known for its abundant chert deposits is the Bay of Fundy. Shown here are excavations at the spectacular Cape d'Or, Minas Basin locale, where evidence of an ancient workshop dating back several thousand years was found. It was in this same general area that the earliest Palaeo-Indian hunters obtained stone for tool making 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.
Courtesy: National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada
