Naomikong Point Site | |
![]() Divers at Naomikong Point | |
Location | Naomikong Point, Bay Mills Township, Michigan[2][3] |
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Coordinates | 46°29′0″N 84°56′0″W / 46.48333°N 84.93333°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1850 |
NRHP reference No. | 71001020[1] |
Added to NRHP | April 16, 1971 |
The Naomikong Point Site, also known as 20CH2,[3] is a Late Woodland period Laurel site[4] archaeological site located in Bay Mills Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1]
The Naomikong Point Laurel complex site is located on a small point[3] on the south shore of Lake Superior in what is now a low meadow, but was a pine forest at the time the site was used.[5] Some of what was once occupied area is now under the water slightly offshore.[6] The site contained refuse and storage pits, as well as evidence of post molds thought to be from fish drying racks.[5] This, along with other evidence, strongly suggests the people living here relied heavily on fishing.[5] Radiocarbon dating indicated the site was populated at some point between about 100 CE and 900 CE.[5] The site was likely used seasonally.[5]
The Naomikong Point Site was brought to the attention of archaeologists by Charles Sprague Taylor, a lumberman and historian from Newberry, Michigan.[6] It was surveyed by James Fitting in the 1960s, including underwater exploration just off shore in 1964.[6] Additional work was done by Donald E. Janzen in 1967.[3] Over 100,000 potsherds was recovered from the site,[4] which came from at least 288 different vessels.[5]