These tip (A) and base (B) fragments clearly illustrate the beautifully controlled stone chipping that is characteristic of Plano culture. All of these points were recovered from islands in Lake St. Francis on the upper St. Lawrence River. Although these sites have not been dated, it is estimated that they are at least 8,000 years old and probably older. At this early time period the St. Lawrence Valley, between approximately its juncture with the Ottawa River and QuÄbec City, consisted of a large body of fresh water called Lampsilis Lake. Further upstream, where the illustrated points were recovered, the water levels would have been similar to those of today. Looking for such sites below the juncture of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers, however, would be useless along the present banks since this land was submerged beneath the surface of the ancient lake. Instead, the elevated beach lines of Lampsilis Lake would have to be examined. The foregoing is an illustration of why the archaeologist must work closely with the geologist when searching for evidence of early man.
Stone drills (C) such as these were flaked in the same fashion as the projectile points and were used for drilling holes in wooden and bone tools which have not survived in the archaeological record.
Courtesy: Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Museums of Canada (S87-1281)
