Now that I am done with it... it was/would have been awesome, if I had been able to do it all week. But I had so much other schoolwork that I didnt have time to start it till this weekend. For those of you who are curious...
In the northern part of Wisconsin, off the cost of Lake Superior, a group of people once dwelled. This group of people where called the Fugawi, and held a rich culture which has now been unearthed.
To begin the process of researching the Fugawi culture, sites where selected in the area of Fugawiland. The sites selected where B, H, X, U, V, Q, K, D, E, and Y. These sites where selected by the process of intuitive selection. After viewing the map of Fugawiland, and its various land features, sites where selected which would most likely cover the most diverse land in the area. Areas where selected to the east and west, by the shore of the lake, by the inland river system, in the plains, and by the hills. Since this only covers 8 sites, and the funding for 10 was provided, the final two where randomly chosen in the east and west.
The first site that was excavated, site U, contained a limited number of findings. It contained rather unremarkable numbers of animal remains, and no pottery remains to speak of. What it did contain however was the highest number of chert knives of any site, and a number of projectile points comparable to anywhere excavated in Fugawiland. These findings lead me to believe that it was probably an area where these knives and points where produced, but did not contain any permanent residents.
One major conclusion that was reached from the study of the Fugawiland area was reached through study of site D, and site X. Sites D and X both contained an exceptional number of burials. The artifacts for both areas where found all around the area, except for a rectangular area toward the center of the site. Because of the arrangement of the artifacts and burials, and the staggering number of burials found at the two sites it is believed that these where ritual burial sites for the Fugawi people. These sites are near identical, with similar numbers in ever area, with the exception of ZZ and Banded jars. In site X a great number of Banded jars where discovered (390), and zero ZZ jars where found. In site D however 410 ZZ jars where found, while zero Banded jars where unearthed. The first reaction was to check and see if maybe these jars contained some kind of significance with burial forms, but the number of bundle burials and extended graves where equally distributed between both sites. At this point it was determined that the Fugawi culture most likely contained two factions, the Eastern Fugawis, and the Western Fugawis. The cultures are extremely similar, in that they both operate on the shore, on the rivers system, on the plains, and on the hills, hunt and gather the same types of food, and have similar burial rituals. They differ however, in the substance they use for their blade industry (Chert in the east, Copper in the west,) The shape of their living structures (round in the west, square in the east,) and the decoration they adorned their pottery with (ZZ pattern in the west, Banded pattern in the east.) From further observation of the sites, it becomes clear that trade did exist between the Eastern and Western Fugawis, and that it was mostly a trade of chert for copper.
Both cultures main food sources appear to be deer during the early summer and into the fall, rabbit on the rivers during the winter, fish along the lake, and acorns along the rivers. The hill regions did not appear to be a source of food.
From the datum recovered during the dig it is clear that the Fugawi people coexisted in two groups, which operated in a similar ecosystem, to the east and west of Fugawiland. It would be interesting to excavate sites T and A, which are both farther into the hills toward the copper and chert sources. Perhaps more signs of industry would show, and further evidence of trade.
