The Lawson Site

The Lawson Prehistoric Indian Village Site

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted November, 2004

Plaque Location

The County of Middlesex
The City of London
At the museum at the south end of Attawandaron Road
east of Wonderland Road, south of Fanshawe Park Road West

Coordinates: N 43 00.827 W 81 18.311

Plaque Text

About 1500 A.D. a Prehistoric Neutral (Late Ontario Iroquois) Indian village occupied this site. Archaeological excavations suggest that it was an agricultural community covering 1.5-2 ha and housing approximately 1,000 inhabitants in communal longhouses. Strategically located so that protection was provided by steep slopes leading down to Medway River and Snake Creek, the village was heavily fortified in exposed areas by palisades, earthworks, ditches and lookout platforms stockpiled with rocks. Although the existence of the site was known in the nineteenth century, the first extensive excavations were undertaken in 1921-23 at which time it was named after the Lawson family who then owned the property. In 1969 this land was donated to the University of Western Ontario to ensure preservation of this important heritage resource.

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