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| Retrieval Number: 2001.17_27 Maskull Lassere drawings of Clara Dennis aboriginal artifacts. Photographed by Jeffery Burns, Mount Allison University Archives fonds. May be reproduced only with permission of Mount Allison University Archives. |
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The array of artifacts that led to these drawings is an eclectic assortment of items that were accumulated in the first half of the 20th century by an avid amateur collector. Since the provenance or place and context of where the items were found is not well documented, it is impossible to attribute their origin or date with any precision. In the case of this collection the identity of items has been postulated after the fact by an archeological expert. At best we can say they are probably typical of the material culture produced by Mi’kmaq people in the region before European contact. There is no documentation to link them to the location of the Chignecto area, but they are undoubtedly representative of the type of artifacts that might have been part of the material complex belonging to those who did frequent the area prior to contact. The first item is described as ivory dice used in a traditional Mi’kmaq gambling game, and the second item is an argillite tobacco pipe probably dating from the 1th-19th century. Items 3-5 are stone projectile tips characteristic of the Middle or Late Archaic period of this region. This means that they may date from as long ago as 7,000 years before the present. |
This project was made possible -in part or entirely - through the Canadian Culture Online Program of Canadian Heritage, the National Archives of Canada and the Canadian Council of Archives. |
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