This week on Wild Archaeology, we visit an area I am very familiar with: Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Dr. Rudy and Jacob are off for a scuba diving adventure below the Great Lakes to explore the landscape that revealed itself during times of low water. Jacob’s first dive reveals evidence of waterfalls, far below the lake’s surface near Tobermory, Ont.
Oral history in the region speaks of the Prehistoric Alpena Amberly Ridge which was at one time used by migrating Caribou. Jacob grabs the opportunity to dive in this area as well and sees first-hand the remains of drive lane complexes, proving credible what oral history has spoken of for generations. During his dive, Jacob collects flake indicative of tool sharpening.
As Dr. Rudy and his team have moved across Turtle Island in this series, they are seeing a “clear pattern between researchers and Indigenous peoples that there is no dichotomy between prehistory and history. Really what we are looking at across this vast landscape is deep history. The lines of evidence that Indigenous people and scientists, archaeologists and many others can bring to the table are only going to add to that, allow us to better understand the past.”
More and more Geomythology (geological occurances documented in myth and legend) is linking oral history with archaeology, providing clues and context to artifacts found in scientific digs. This discipline is also bridging that academic gap between what academia deems as knowledge and what Indigenous peoples have always known is knowledge.
Another really strong episode this week. This is such a great instrument for social studies in classrooms across Canada. As a teacher, with each episode I watch, my head spins with possible lesson plans that would excite children to learn more about Canada’s rich history.
Wild Archaeology airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.