ONLINE: Wisconsin Archeological Society-Charles E. Brown Chapter

press release:

The Charles E. Brown chapter of the Wisconsin Archeological Society Presents: Archaic Copper Economy and Exchange in the Western Great Lakes

The Old Copper Complex is a long-studied cultural phenomenon in the Western Great Lakes. This sometimes puzzling assemblage of Archaic period sites with copper artifacts has attracted rapt attention from both archaeologists and avocational collectors due to the nature of its distinctive artifacts and stubborn resistance to theoretical advancement. Rob Ahirichs's dissertation research uses Mr. James Bussey’s copper collection to critically examine the Lake Superior Model of copper distribution during the Archaic period. This presentation will discuss our current understanding of Western Great Lakes Archaic foragers, the oft alluded to trade network presumed to have operated during that time and how Mr. Bussey’s extraordinary collection of copper artifacts fits or refutes these ideas.