Remains of a 730-Year-Old Recent Indian Dwelling in Central Labrador.
The structure at the top of this illustration was revealed by Smithsonian Institution excavations in central Labrador on Hamilton Inlet at the Big Island 1 site. Although it lacks the substantial "hold-down" rocks often found surrounding other tents, it probably represents the basic form of a conical, tipi-like dwelling used by Recent Indian people at Point Revenge.
Similar structures were used as summer dwellings by Montagnais and Naskapi Indians into the early twentieth century. Shown here in front of one such dwelling is a Montagnais group from Godbout River, QuΘbec. While the shelters used by Indians of the historic period resemble those of the prehistoric Recent Indians, archaeologists remain divided as to whether this type of structure indicates a link between the Point Revenge people and the Indians who occupied Labrador in historic times.
Courtesy: William Fitzhugh, Smithsonian Institution, Public Archives of Canada (PA-28345)
