Marquette Street Archaeological District | |
![]() Region of archaeological district | |
Location | Near the St. Ignace Mission, St. Ignace, Michigan [2] |
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Coordinates | 45°52′0″N 84°44′0″W / 45.86667°N 84.73333°W |
Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 82000541 [1] |
Added to NRHP | October 29, 1982 |
The Marquette Street Archaeological District is an archaeological site in St. Ignace, Michigan near the St. Ignace Mission. It covers 6 acres (2.4 ha) and includes one building, a village site, and a cemetery; [1] archaeological designations are 20MK82 and 20MK99. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [1]
The Petun people originally lived east of Georgian Bay, but were driven by the Iroquois into what is now Wisconsin. [3] In the 1660s, the Petun were again displaced by the Sioux, and settled in what is now St. Ignace around 1670. [4] By this time, the reduction in numbers of Petun, due to disease and war, was so severe that some experts believe they were no longer culturally viable. [5]
Père Jacques Marquette established his mission near the village a few years later. [4] [6] The village was home to 500-800 people. [4] The Petun remained in this location until 1701, when Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac persuaded them to move south when he founded Detroit. [5]
The site of the Petun village in St. Ignace was excavated in the 1970s, [3] and again in 1983-86, 1996–97, and 2001. [4] Excavations have shown evidence of Petun longhouses and hearths, and acculturation from exposure to nearby European settlers. [4] In particular, the Petun reused European glass and metal fragments to fashion weapons and ornaments, [4] and incorporated elements of Christian worship into their own rituals. [5] However, the Petun cultural identity remained despite their repeated displacement, reduction in numbers, and exposure to European culture and goods. [5]