HIST 12797

1

The earliest evidence of man in Canada is the “Old Crow Site” in today’s Yukon.

This humanity seems to have come from Asia by way of the land-bridge across the Bering Sea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNBOsFj_Zr8

This dates from approximately 27,000 BC (Lascaux Cave, France, 10K-20K BC. Stonehenge-2.7K BC).

Descendants of the first people who settled in North America migrated between the Laurentian and Cordilleran ice sheet (12,000BP)

5

6

With a warming climate, the glacier covering much of North America began to recede and a corridor opened more or less following the Rocky Mountains.

Animated Map of Glacier Ice Melting

http://drarchaeology.com/map/laurentianice.mov

Not all of Canada became occupied at the same moment in time.

Occupation was sequential, with the area of Canada known as Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes being inhabited relatively late.

8

In each of Canada’s geographical regions, aboriginals developed architectural forms which responded to environmental challenges with materials readily available.

9

Sophisticated methods of construction for a variety of purpose for every season

10

Strips of bark used to tie wooden frameworks together

Well insulated structures during winter and good ventilation for the summer heat

11

Dwelling places for hunting

13

Permanent dwelling for agriculture and fishing

14

North American history is divided into two periods: prehistoric (“pre-contact” with Europeans) and historic (“contact era”).

Dates of Contact:◦ Norse in Newfoundland: approx: 1000 AD◦ Jacques Cartier in Quebec: 1535◦ Champlain in Port Royal: 1605◦ Jesuits in Ste.-Marie among the Hurons: 1639

15

Large mammals were butchered at this site between 10,000 and 13,000 BP

Video: http://www.sfu.museum/journey/mod/multimedia/video/driver12.htmlhttp://www.sfu.museum/journey/mod/multimedia/video/driver12.html

Tools, bison bones, a bead were found in this cave.

No evidence was found to indicate that this cave was used as a shelter

Module #10: Prehistoric Canadian Architecture 1

9

The Iroquois and Algonquin occupied much of Ontario as we know it today.

Two tribes of the different linguistic groups, the Huron and the Ojibwa were unrelated, yet lived in relative harmony.

Both groups hunted, fished and gathered. The Iroquois also depended on agriculture, growing corn, squash and beans.

The primary dwelling of both groups was built with a frame of branches or saplings and covered by bark or mats.

Iroquois dwelling: LONG HOUSE

Algonquin dwelling: WIGWAM

A long narrow floor plan, and large enough to be shared by many related families.

A typical Huron (the Huron were one subgroup of Iroquois) long house measured 80 by 28 feet, had three hearths down the centre, and were shared by six related families.

The Nodwell site, near Southampton on Lake Huron, inhabited around 1340 had twelve longhouses of varying sizes, the largest being 139 feet long

These photographs, as well as those on the previous slide are from the text:

A HISTORY OF CANADIAN ARCHITECTURE,

By Harold KalmanOxford Univ. Press

T

The people who spoke Algonquin included ◦ the Beothuk who lived in Newfoundland◦ the Micmac who lived in the Maritimes◦ the Algonquin in the Ottawa River Valley◦ and the Ottawa, located west of Ottawa◦ the Ojibwa, located between Georgian Bay and

Lake Superior◦ the Cree who occupied a large area between

Quebec and Alberta

Was more mobile than that of the Iroquois

Moved from summer sites where they fished or picked berries, to hunting grounds, and one or more winter homes.

Wigwam was developed to be easily transportable.

A Wigwam was generally a one or two family house 12 to 15 feet in diameter.

A frame of saplings or pliable poles, wrapped in either sheets of bark or mats of reeds (some groups constructed conical forms, other dome shaped).

Module #10: Prehistoric Canadian Architecture 2

8

Algonquin Wigwam Ojibway Wigwam

Conically shaped with circular or elliptical floor plans

Used by a Shaman to help in finding lost things or persons

Also for locating good hunting grounds, foreseeing the future and combat sorcery

Click to view link

The trapping of fur bearing animals became essential to the native economy once Europeans came to North America.

Agriculture meant a less-nomadic lifestyle, which resulted in more permanent building forms..

First evidence of contact was in the Strait of Belle Isle which separates Newfoundland from Labrador.

37

Adventurers from Scandinavia made their home on the Strait of Belle Isle about 1000 years ago.

These adventures were described in Icelandic sagas, the most celebrated being that of Leif Eiriksson’s exploration of Vineland (“wine land”)

39

The Eiriksson legend was first followed up by Helge Ingstad in 1960 when he conducted a search for Vineland.

A number of mounds turned out to be the lower walls of buildings that resemble Norse houses found in Greenland and Iceland around the year 1000.

40

Norse in Newfoundland: approx: 1000 AD

Module #11: First European Settlements in Canada 4

1

Basque is a region which encompasses northern Spain and south west France.

Between 1540 and 1620 (approx.) galleons from this region to the Strait of Belle Isle to hunt whales.

In fleets of as many as 20 to 30 galleons, they would cross in the Spring and return in the Fall.

In only 50 years, over 20,000 whales were killed

42

The Whalers would establish whaling stations where they would process whale oil and other products for European use.

At Red Bay has been found the remains of more than a dozen shore stations, and a number of different kinds of structures.

43

One building type was a tryworks, which was a shelter housing between one and six ovens used to render the blubber of whales (extract oil).

Other building types included cooperages (places were wood barrels were constructed) and whalers housing.

44

In the sixteenth century, the English and French began to build seasonal fishing stations on eastern side of Newfoundland.

They needed land-based faciliites to dry cod.

Temporary structures called tilts were built for housing and for storage.

Term is synonymous with “cabin” or “shack”.

Were constructed of vertical poles set in a trench. The spaces between the vertical logs were filled with moss, the process was called “chinsing”, and a roof of boughs, bark or boards.

◦ Jacques Cartier: a great explorer of the Americas

46

The View of Jacques Cartier

http://seetalkit.blogspot.com/2007/09/view-of-jacques-cartier-compass-of-his.html

Cartier’s first meeting with the Indians

Perce Rock, Gaspe 1534

Settlement established by Cartier on his third visit to Canada

Champlain arriving at Quebec 1603

Module #11: First European Settlements in Canada 5

1

King Henry of France wanted to establish French settlements in Canada to confirm his domain over this new land.

To do so he gave Pierre du Gua de Monts a patent (ie. Sole rights to trade in the region) in 1603.

The following year de Monts traveled with 2 ships carrying 120-150 men to an island just off of Nova Scotia, calling it Ile Sainte Croix.

(Today this island is known as Dochet Island, Maine.)

Module #11: First European Settlements in Canada 5

2

The island was chosen largely because it could be defended and offered a good base for trade.

The settlement included accommodation of various kinds and of varied construction within a palisade. Even in this tentative beginning architecture was used to express social value.

De Monts’ house had a French “chateau” roof and was built of sawn lumber which must have been shipped from France.

Storehouse and Magazine

A. De Mont’sHouse

B. Public Building

R. Champlain’sHouse (hipped pavilion roof common in France at the time

P. VillageHousing (gabled roofs)

D. Gardens

M. Farm

The Habitation Ile Ste.Croix

Module #11: First European Settlements in Canada 5

4

The winter of 1604-5 was long and hard. With the island “scalped” by their construction projects, there was no shelter from wind or snow.

Ice flows cut the community off from the mainland and from fresh water, fuel and game.

Of 79 men, 35 died and 20 became seriously sick.

With the coming of spring, the survivors relocated

across the Bay of Fundy to Port Royal.

Here the community built a continuous ring of buildings (no palisade)

Cannon Platform

Entrance Gate andSecond Bastion

Storehouse(with cellar)

De Mont’s House (also housed Champlain)House of Gentlemen and Officers

WorkersHousing

Bakery Kitchen Blacksmithy Rigging Storage

De Mont’s fur-trading monopoly was revoked in 1607 and the habitation was temporarily abandoned.

The community was resettled in 1610 under the leadership of Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt one of the original settlers.

Port Royal was destroyed in 1613 by an English

privateer Samuel Argall and the area was for a brief while the home of Scottish colony.

It was not until 1632 that the area was returned to France. At this time the settlement moved to the location of today’s Annapolis Royal.

(This was the Beginning of the Acadian people.)

The first Port Royal was reconstructed in 1939, and accurate or not has been a tourist destination

for over sixty years.

De Monts lost the fur-trading monopoly but wanted to control the trade

He wanted to find a westerly route to China.

Sieur de Monts

60

He therefore sent Champlain to lead an expedition of the St. Lawrence River (first sailed by Jacques Cartier) to an Native village by the name of Kebec. (Algonquin name for a community formerly known as Stadacona under the Iroquois).

Construction began with the storehouse complete with cellar.

The complete construct was compact and encircled by a raised walkway.

The Habitation being constructed

Champlain came close to losing his life to a disgruntled worker (who was hanged).

Champlain was rewarded for his work by being appointed the Governor of New France in 1620.

As the colony became more improved he decided to place a new fort at the top of the

escarpment.

This subsequently became know as the “magasin de Roi” (the King’s storehouse) and is known from plans of 1630…

…..and this sketch of 1680 (two years before it was destroyed by fire) and archaeological digs under- taken between 1976 and 1980.

Walls of the Second Habitation of Quebec

A Jesuit mission located near Midland, Ontario which dates from 1639.

It has been reconstructed as a museum.

Module #10: Prehistoric Canadian Architecture 6

5

Chateau Saint-Louis

Beauport and Charlesbourg properties

Ferme Saint Gabriel Pointe Saint Charles Montréal Québec begun 1698

Lamontagne House, Rimouski Quebec mid-18th Century

http://www.rom.on.ca/digs/longhouse/index.html http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/houses/

housingmap.html http://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/Firstnations.htm

Module #10: Prehistoric Canadian Architecture 7

0

SOURCES OF PHOTOIMAGES:

A HISTORY OF CANADIAN ARCHITECTURE, Harold Kalman, Oxford University Press

slides 1, 12, 13, 14

THE FIRST CANADIANS, Toivo Kiil, Editor

N.S.L., Natural Science of Canada Limited

slides 3, 6

THE CANADIAN INDIAN, Fraser Symington

MacLean-Hunter Limited/McClelland & Stewart

slides 7, 17