Settlement Pattern at the Le Caron Site, a 17th Century Huron Village

Abstract

Although the Huron are well known from an extraordinarily rich body of documentation recorded during the 35-year contact period prior to 1650 A.C., there has been relatively little substantial descriptive reporting or analysis of this large group of village agriculturalists based on modern archaeological fieldwork. A long-term project at the Le Caron Huron site has produced a significant body of well controlled data, including extensive and detailed settlement information. This report of the excavation of about 20% of the 4-acre village, especially a section containing five contiguous longhouses and a large part of the enclosing palisade, is the first archaeological study of the site and a contribution to our general understanding of late-period Huron village life.