Table 3: The Four Phases of the Western Basin Tradition
| Phase | Date | Settlement and Subsistence | Pottery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riviere auVase | A.D. 600-900 | - developed directly from the Middle Woodland Couture complex- seasonal mobility geared toward resource availability- summer base camps by lakeshores, fall/winter in interior- no corn or beans present | - Wayne ware: small, thin walled, vertical cord-marking- later wares are tool impressed |
| Younge | A.D. 900-1200 | - corn and beans present- settlement & subsistence continues as before with focus on warm season gathering of groups and winter dispersals | - pottery is larger, more elaborately decorated - body of vessels are corded, coarsely & irregularly- multiple bands of tool impression |
| Springwells | A.D. 1200-1400 | - larger more permanent warm season settlements
| - ceramics large & bag-shaped- collars & castellated rims decorated with horizontal bands of incised or impressed decoration- roughened, self-slip & ribbed paddle surfaces first appear |
| Wolf | A.D. 1400-1600 | - few examples of sites known- distribution limited to around Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River- large warm weather villages, often fortified by earthworks- nature of these sites is attributed to the westward expansion of Ontario Iroquoians that resulted in abandonment by the Western Basin peoples in the early 1600 | - diagnostic characteristic of Wolf phase is Parker Festooned pottery -undulating bands of dentate stamped impressions or stamped applique strips on vessel necks- after A.D. 1500 most vessels with strap handles & notched lips or notched horizontal rim strips, plus shell temper |
* Table information from the Windsor Archaeological Master Plan (CRM Group Ltd. et al. 2005: 2-13).
Early British Settlement
After the British Conquest of 1760, French Canada came under English rule. At the end of the 18th century, the area saw the influx of British settlers, many whom were United Empire Loyalists who fled the American colonies after the American Revolutionary War. To further assist settlement, legal surveys were conducted in an effort to open up lots to new settlers. As the interior lands were poorly drained and not well suited for agriculture, most of the settlement was restricted to the lakeshore and