Page "Manitoulin Island" Paragraph 26

In 1952 archeologist Thomas E. Lee discovered Sheguiandah on the island, a prehistoric site with artifacts of the Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods, dating at least to 10, 000 BCE and possibly to 30, 000 years ago.

Additional studies were undertaken by a team he led from the National Museum of Canada in succeeding years.

Popular interest in the finds was so high that it contributed to Ontario's passing legislation in 1953 to protect its archeological sites.

A team performed excavations again in the early 1990s, as well as being able to draw from new material in botany and other disciplines.

They concluded the site was at least 9500 years old, making it one of the most significant in Ontario.